New Jersey Devastated: Four Yeshiva Students Killed in Head-on Collision by Alleged Drunk Driver [UPDATE]

The Orthodox Jewish community in New Jersey is reeling from a devastating tragedy after four young yeshiva students were killed in a horrific car accident early Sunday morning. The crash, which occurred on the busy New Jersey Turnpike, is being investigated as a collision caused by an allegedly drunk driver who crashed head-on into the students’ vehicle.

The tragedy is compounded by the fact that all four victims, identified as students from the prominent Kerem Shlomo Yeshiva, belonged to the same institution that lost three other members in a fatal accident just five months ago.

The victims in the latest incident were identified as the revered young men from the Leibowitz, Cohen, Kilberg, and Grossman families. One of the deceased was a pupil at Kerem Shlomo Yeshiva, led by Rabbi Feigenbaum.

Five months prior, in a separate fatal crash that occurred in Lakewood, New Jersey, three yeshiva students lost their lives, Raphael Faham, Chaim Zelig Berg, and David Yitzchok Handler.

This latest catastrophe unfolded shortly after midnight (US time) on the New Jersey Turnpike, one of the busiest and most central transportation arteries in the United States. The collision took place near the Delaware Memorial Bridge, which connects New Jersey and Delaware.

Initial reports indicate that a drunk driver traveling in the opposite direction crossed the barrier and collided head-on with the car carrying the four students, who were reportedly on a trip during the bein hazmanim (mid-semester) break. The impact was catastrophic, resulting in the immediate deaths of all four students.

Emergency Response and Honor for the Deceased

The severity of the incident led to the complete closure of traffic lanes in the area. Numerous emergency responders arrived at the scene, accompanied by senior Haredi community activists, who mobilized quickly to ensure the proper handling of the deceased according to religious law.

A statement from the international unit of ZAKA, the emergency response and body recovery organization, confirmed the details: "Four yeshiva students were killed. A team from the international unit, led by Yanky Landau, ZAKA USA Commander, along with the 'Mita'askim' organization, are on site and dealing with the honor of the dead at the scene."

As the victims’ names are released, the families and the wider Jewish community in New Jersey and beyond are plunged into a state of profound mourning, struggling to comprehend the scale of the repeated devastation striking a single institution.