In the early hours of October 19, tragedy struck when four teenage friends—fresh out of high school—lost their lives in a horrific crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. It began with a Dodge pickup driven the wrong way down the southbound lanes, resulting in a violent collision that would end the road trip they had just begun.
At about 12:40 a.m. local time, 41-year-old Christopher Neff of Westminster, Colorado, was traveling north in the southbound lanes near milepost 1.3 in Carneys Point Township when his Dodge pickup slammed head-on into a Mazda SUV carrying the teenagers. The SUV, driven by 19-year-old Yaakov Kilberg, was hit so forcefully that it was pushed into the path of a Freightliner tractor-trailer driving behind it in the lane to the right.
Inside the Mazda were Kilberg and three close friends: 18-year-olds Aharon Lebovits, Shlomo Cohen, and Chaim Grossman. All four were killed in the impact. Kilberg and three of the teens hailed from Lakewood, New Jersey; Grossman was from Fallsburg, New York. Family members say the young men attended the same school and had just embarked on what was supposed to be an adventurous road trip.
In the immediate aftermath, Neff survived but was seriously injured, suffering fractures to both legs, a broken arm, and other trauma. The driver of the tractor-trailer from Nova Scotia, Canada, emerged without harm. At first, no criminal charges were filed as authorities continued their investigation.
However, in a recent development, prosecutors have finally brought charges against Neff. He now faces counts including vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter, weapon possession, and related offenses. Authorities report that Neff had a blood alcohol content of .22%, nearly three times the legal limit. Court documents also indicate hollow-point ammunition was found in his possession, and witnesses said they detected a strong odor of alcohol at the crash scene. Investigators allege Neff consumed multiple alcoholic drinks at a bar in Carneys Point before the accident, and surveillance footage may tie him to the establishment.
In Lakewood, grief and disbelief have swept through the community. Those who knew Aharon, Shlomo, Chaim, and Yaakov spoke of their warmth, faith, and the promise they carried into adulthood. Rabbi Shlomo Landau remarked that two of the boys had been friends with his own children, and their visits brought joy and connection. Chai Lifeline, a crisis support organization, has offered grief counseling and emotional care to family, friends, and neighbors in the wake of the tragedy.
As New Jersey State Police press forward with the investigation, they’re urging anyone who may have seen the wrong-way pickup or witnessed the crash to come forward. Tips—anonymous or not—could help piece together the moments leading up to a crash that cut short four bright futures too soon.