South Jersey community holds vigil for 16-year-old killed in car crash

NEWTONVILLE, N.J. (FOX 29) - A South Jersey community came together to remember a teen killed in a car crash.

"Amazing Grace. How sweet the sound," sang the crowd of children, adults, family, friends, school staff and classmates as they held candles in the air.

"This candle right here represents our grief. The pain of losing you is so intense," said the victim's cousin.

An entire community is in mourning over the loss of the beloved 16-year-old.

"We don't know why. We don't have the words but God knows," said a woman who led them in prayer.

They all gathered with teary eyes and heavy hearts for a vigil behind the African American Heritage Museum in Newtonville to remember Lakhi Gibbs a Buena Regional High School sophomore.

"His mother was my sister," said Margaret Farmer. She's Lakhi's aunt and led the crowd in 16 seconds of silence.

"It represents the 16 beautiful years that Lakhi shared with all of us," she cried. Lakhi's grandmother raised him after his mother died when he was 11 years old. She sat before the crowd as they shared memories and grief.

"He would be with his grand-mom at the post office getting her mail and he would help me with mine and hold the door. And for the moment I was his grandmom," said a lady. Jimmie Johnson is Lakhi's cousin and broke down in tears as he spoke.

"I'm just so sorry I didn't get to see him before he went. I don't understand," he cried.

Investigators say just before 10 p.m. Monday when a car Lakhi was a passenger in went off the road when the 18-year-old driver lost control. The car hit a utility pole and went up in flames on the Black Horse Pike near the Route 50 on-ramp.

"He had a beautiful soul. He was a great person and it's sad to see somebody so young go," said Taylor Locker, a classmate.

"He touched everybody. He made everybody's lives better," said Gianna Saglia, another classmate.