New Brunswick High School Vice Principal Dies In Drag Race Hit & Run

New Brunswick High School Principal 49-year-old Tyrone Harrison was killed on Saturday night at around 9 p.m. while walking along Shelton Road in Piscataway. He was hit by a car that had been involved in a drag race.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Piscataway Police Chief Scott Cartmell are still looking for the driver of the vehicle, as he or she fled the scene immediately upon striking Harrison, according to My Central Jersey.

Harrison had been walking from the Edison train station and was headed to a relative’s house at the time of the accident. A press release issue by investigative authorities states that he was declared dead on the scene due to extensive injuries he suffered during the collision. An autopsy is yet to be conducted.

A preliminary investigation has so far yielded the fact that there were three cars involved in the drag race that resulted in Harrison’s death, and the car that struck him is a 2003 Honda Accord. Police believe at this stage that the cars are part of the “78 Imports” car club that organizes illegal drag racing on public roads. This race took place on a stretch of road that is currently being upgraded to improve pedestrian safety.

“As a school district, our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Harrison’s family. This obviously is a difficult time throughout New Brunswick Public Schools, and we’ve arranged for grief counselors to be available to students, faculty and staff,” said Aubrey Johnson, a New Brunswick Public Schools superintendent.

Tyrone Harrison, the vice principal of New Brunswick High School, was killed over the weekend when he was struck by a drag racer while on his way to a relative’s house. https://t.co/Mvw4m1oHMq pic.twitter.com/0of05V09tL

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) October 11, 2018

Plinton Curry Funeral Home is dealing with arrangements for the funeral service, with a viewing scheduled for Monday, October 15, at the First Baptist Church Of Lincoln Gardens, 771 Somerset St.

New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill also offered his condolences to Harrison’s loved ones.

“Mr. Harrison was an admired and respected member of our New Brunswick school community and will be remembered as a great educator and a dedicated positive role model who truly cared about each and every one of our students. His tragic passing comes as a terrible sadness, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time.”

Aside from his role as a vice principal at the school, Harrison also involved himself in other important causes, including Project Exceed, a Metuchen-based personalized tutoring service that helps students make goals that become achievements, where he was on the board of trustees. He also spent time at the organization tutoring math.

In his youth, Harrison was one of the stars of the Highland Park High School football team, and later played fullback for Ohio State University. Even throughout his adulthood he wanted to “have a connection and pipeline to Ohio State.”