By: Tzirel Rosenblatt

In a heartbreaking tragedy that has sent shockwaves through Jewish communities across the tri-state area, four yeshiva students were killed early Sunday morning when their vehicle was struck by a suspected drunk driver on the New Jersey Turnpike, near the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

According to a report that appeared on Sunday morning at JFeed.com, the students—(who were returning from a Bain Hazmanim trip, a short break in the yeshiva calendar between study terms)—were traveling northbound when the fatal collision occurred. The impact was so severe that traffic along the major interstate artery came to a complete standstill for several hours as first responders and emergency teams worked through the wreckage.

Authorities identified the victims as Ahron Nosson Leibovitz of Spruce Street, Lakewood; Shloime Abba Cohen of Pine River, Lakewood; Yaakov Kilberg of New England Village, Lakewood; and Chaim Simcha Grossman of the South Fallsburg area. All four young men, described by JFeed.com as beloved members of their respective yeshiva communities, were in their late teens or early twenties.

The Lakewood Scoop and JFeed.com both reported that the accident took place shortly after 2:00 a.m., in the northbound lanes of the Turnpike near the bridge that connects New Jersey to Delaware. Early reports from law enforcement suggest that the driver of the other vehicle—a sedan traveling at high speed—may have been under the influence of alcohol when it veered into the students’ lane, striking their car with devastating force.

Emergency crews from multiple jurisdictions, including state police and local fire departments, arrived within minutes. Despite their efforts, all four victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle, who survived, was taken into custody under suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to preliminary statements cited by JFeed.com.

Photographs and videos obtained by JFeed.com show a haunting scene of twisted metal and flashing emergency lights stretching across the Turnpike’s dark expanse. The students’ vehicle, believed to be a midsize sedan, was almost completely destroyed by the collision.

One witness told JFeed.com that the crash “sounded like an explosion,” adding that debris was scattered across several lanes of traffic. “It was chaos—sirens everywhere, people trying to get out of their cars. You could tell immediately this was bad,” the witness said.

Traffic was backed up for miles in both directions. Police diverted northbound motorists toward alternate routes, including Route 295 and the I-95 corridor, as crash investigators and the medical examiner’s office worked through the morning hours to recover evidence and identify the victims.

By sunrise, the scene had been cleared, but the emotional impact remained deeply felt in Lakewood, South Fallsburg, and across the broader Orthodox Jewish world.

As JFeed.com reported, news of the accident spread quickly through Jewish social media networks and community channels. Synagogues in Lakewood, home to one of the largest yeshiva communities in the United States, immediately began organizing Tehillim gatherings (prayer groups) in memory of the four young men.

“These were precious neshamos (souls), full of light and potential,” one Lakewood rabbi told JFeed.com. “They were on a break from learning, traveling together as friends, and in one tragic moment their lives were cut short. The entire community is in mourning.”

In South Fallsburg, where Chaim Simcha Grossman resided and studied, friends described him as “a boy of deep faith and constant kindness.” One classmate, speaking to JFeed.com, said, “He was always smiling, always helping others. It’s impossible to understand.”

In Lakewood, Ahron Nosson Leibovitz, Shloime Abba Cohen, and Yaakov Kilberg were remembered as diligent students and devoted sons. “Each one was known for their middos tovos (good character traits),” said a teacher from their yeshiva. “They had their whole futures ahead of them.”

Within hours of the crash, major Jewish volunteer organizations mobilized to ensure proper kavod hameis—the respect and dignity accorded to the deceased under Jewish law.

ZAKA International, led by Yanky Landau, head of ZAKA USA, took charge of recovery and identification efforts at the crash site. In a statement to JFeed.com, Landau confirmed that his team had coordinated with state authorities and local first responders “to ensure that all halachic (Jewish legal) procedures were followed with the utmost care and sensitivity.”

At the same time, Misaskim, a Brooklyn-based organization known for assisting families in the aftermath of tragedy, dispatched volunteers to work alongside local law enforcement. Representatives from Misaskim told JFeed.com that they were “working tirelessly to ensure the prompt and proper release of the victims for burial in accordance with Jewish tradition.”

Several other Askanim—community advocates and liaisons—were also present at the scene and at nearby hospitals, helping to coordinate between families, investigators, and religious authorities.

The New Jersey State Police confirmed that an investigation is ongoing and that driving under the influence is being treated as a possible cause of the crash. Authorities have not yet released the name of the suspected driver pending formal charges.

As the JFeed.com report noted, investigators are reviewing highway surveillance footage and analyzing the vehicles’ black box data to determine the precise chain of events. The suspect will likely face multiple counts of vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter, depending on toxicology results.

A spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Transportation said the northbound lanes near the Delaware Memorial Bridge were closed for approximately seven hours as investigators worked at the scene. The area, one of the most heavily traveled corridors in the Northeast, saw major delays extending into the late morning.

As word spread, messages of condolence poured in from Jewish communities across North America and Israel. The tragedy, as the JFeed.com report highlighted, struck a particular chord among yeshiva students and alumni, many of whom had traveled the same route countless times during Bain Hazmanim vacations.

Community leaders in Lakewood organized grief counseling for classmates and families, while local rabbonim (rabbis) prepared to deliver eulogies. Levayos (funeral services) are expected to take place Monday, with large crowds anticipated to gather in Lakewood and South Fallsburg.

The mayor of Lakewood issued a statement expressing the city’s condolences and commending the efforts of emergency personnel and volunteer organizations who responded to the scene. “Our hearts are broken for the families who lost their sons,” the statement read. “The entire town stands with them in grief and solidarity.”

For many in the Orthodox Jewish world, the tragedy has become a moment of spiritual reflection as well as mourning. As JFeed.com poignantly observed, “the pain of loss is matched only by the resilience of faith.”

Rabbi Moshe Lichtenstein of Lakewood, speaking at a community gathering on Sunday evening, urged unity and introspection. “We do not understand Hashem’s ways,” he said. “But we must respond with compassion, with tefillah (prayer), and with a renewed commitment to kindness.”

Across social media platforms, friends and strangers alike shared words of comfort and sorrow, often accompanied by the Hebrew phrase Baruch Dayan HaEmes — “Blessed is the True Judge.”

The four victims—Ahron Nosson Leibovitz, Shloime Abba Cohen, Yaakov Kilberg, and Chaim Simcha Grossman—are being remembered not only for their devotion to Torah study, but for the joy and friendship they brought to those around them.

As the report at JFeed.com noted, “Their lives were a testament to youthful energy, to faith, and to the strength of community. Their loss is immeasurable — and their memory will forever remain a light in the hearts of all who knew them.”

In the words of one Lakewood rabbi quoted by JFeed.com: “We cannot comprehend the ways of Heaven, but we can honor these precious souls by strengthening our unity, our love, and our commitment to life.”