Funerals Held for 3 Teens, Grandmother Killed in N.J. Crash

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) -- Mourners trekked from church to church in central New Jersey on Monday to remember three high school students and a grandmother who perished in the same fiery crash last week.

School officials, relatives and friends traveled to the funerals of Michael Dragonetti, 17; his front seat passenger, James Warnock, 17, and a back seat passenger, Andrew Lundy, 16. All were from Freehold Township.

At the same time in Keyport, friends and relatives mourned Ruth A. MacArthur, of Old Bridge. The 68-year-old grandmother was driving the school transport van that crashed with the students' car Wednesday afternoon.

"Heaven has four new saints,'' said the Rev. Richard Milewski, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church, where funerals for Dragonetti and Lundy were held less than three hours apart. "Their names are Michael, James, Andrew and Ruth.''

Dragonetti, an honors student and captain of the football team, was mourned by teammates who wore their navy blue football jerseys over white shirts and black ties. Other students wore Freehold varsity athletic jackets.

Nicholas Dragonetti eulogized his brother as someone who lived "a life that was as short in duration as it was long on accomplishments.''

"He was beautiful, not only physically, but in every way,'' Nicholas Dragonetti said. "He had a big heart. He lived in a house that was full of love and laughter, and Mike was a big part of that.''

He also mourned the other two students who perished with his brother, and the woman who is now linked in tragedy with them.

"I really loved Andrew and James like brothers because they treated me like one,'' he said. "Four lives leave an unfillable void in our hearts. As great as this tragedy was, so is the outpouring of love and affection we received. I know we will come out of this scarred, but strong.

"I ask you not to remember the past few days, but the past 17 years with Mike, Andrew and James,'' he said.

The photo at right, taken by 1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg, is of James Warnock's coffin being carried into a church for his funeral.

The crash occurred 12 minutes after Freehold Borough High School had let out for the day, a little more than a mile from the school that Bruce Springsteen once attended. Dragonetti's Cadillac burst into flames upon impact, and all four victims were killed instantly, authorities said.

The cause of the crash is still being investigated.

A fifth person injured in the crash, a 14-year-old boy who was a passenger in MacArthur's minivan, is recovering from what authorities characterize as non-life threatening injuries. His name has not been made public.

At Dragonetti's funeral, Milewski, the church pastor, told an overflow gathering of several hundred mourners that questions like why bad things happen to good people may never be answered well.

"Today we are overwhelmed by death,'' he said. "We must talk about life. He was a loving and caring young man. He always had a smile on his face. He loved to make people laugh. Those memories are the legacy Michael leaves us.''

Insert photos taken by 1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg.

Top photo of pallbearers carrying the casket of Mike Dragonetti from the church is an AP photo obtained from 1010WINS.com partner NorthJersey.com

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