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Newark Security Officer, Community Advocate Killed in Newark Car Crash

Newark

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office are looking into the cause of a crash that killed a security officer during the overnight hours in Newark's South Ward.

According to a preliminary investigation, police said the crash happened around midnight near the intersection of West Peddie and Irvine Turner Boulevard.

According to police, the driver of the car, Mr. Ronnie Eugene Kellam, 28, of Newark and one other person was inside a private security vehicle when he somehow lost control and struck a pole -at high speed- causing both occupants to become trapped inside the car.

Emergency responders raced to the scene after several unofficial reports came in that the crash involved Newark Police Officers.

Rescue crews were able to extricate Kellam and the other severely injured victim.

Police said Kellam was pronounced dead a short time later while the other individual was rushed to University Hospital in serious condition.

According to Kellam’s Facebook page, he was currently employed by Lakewood, NJ security company ”IronRock Security” but it is unclear if Kellam was on duty responding to a job for the company in their car before the crash.

Officials said Kellam was a Newark community advocate and security officer but not a Newark Police Officer, nor was he apart of the NPD Special Police Unit.

He was not employed by the City of Newark.

Kellam was appointed as a Constable by Councilwoman Mildred Crump several years ago, but there was no information available if he currently held the position.

Police would not immediately confirm if Kellam was in possession of a service weapon during the crash.

The cause of the collision is in its early stages of the investigation.

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