Teen in Stafford crash remembered as 'brightest star in a dark room'
Police say the crash happened around 1:35 a.m.
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Family and friends are mourning the loss of a 17-year-old boy who was killed when his vehicle struck a utility pole and flipped over on State Highway 72 in Ocean County early Tuesday morning.
Identified by his older sister as Gabriel Saldana, the teen is being remembered as someone who cared for everyone.
"He was a good kid who loved and cared about anyone and everyone he came into contact with," his sister Maddie Saldana told News 12. "He was the brightest star in a dark room."
Saldana said the teen is predeceased by their mother.
According to Stafford Township police, officers were initially called to respond to the area of Mermaid Drive and Route 72 for reports of a male who had possibly fallen asleep behind the wheel while at a traffic light.
"While in route to the area, patrol units witnessed an over-turned pickup truck, resembling the original caller's description, on Route 72 eastbound at Nautilus Drive," police said in a press release.
Police say the vehicle, a silver, 2005 Ford Ranger, appears to have struck a utility pole before flipping over and landing upside down. Saldana was found trapped inside the vehicle. According to police, the teen died at the scene due to his injuries.
Stafford police said volunteer fire and EMS crews as well as paramedics and the Ocean County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene. Crews from NJ DOT and utility companies were working to repair the damaged infrastructure and police modified the traffic flow as the work continued.
Police are asking anyone who might have witnessed the crash to contact Traffic Safety Officer G. Demarco at 609-597-1189 or email gdemarco@staffordpdnj.gov.
