A fatal crash in Glouco kills two, including a beloved track coach remembered as a ‘second father figure’ to his students
A husband and wife have died after their SUV accelerated out of their yard and struck a neighbor's house in Mullica Hill, N.J.
Officials say a medical emergency or an issue with the gas pedal may have led the driver of an SUV to accelerate into a neighbor’s yard and crash into a house in Mullica Hill, N.J., on Saturday, killing the husband and wife in the vehicle and causing a house fire.
Thomas Hengel, 72, and his wife, Lisa Hengel, 61, both died after their vehicle became trapped in the neighbor’s house on Banff Drive, according to Harrison Township Police Chief Ronald Cundey.
“The family in the house, by the grace of God, were in the kitchen, and they weren’t injured,” Cundey said. The home is uninhabitable as a result of the fire, and the family has been temporarily relocated, he said.
Officials are working to determine whether the driver suffered a “medical event” or if the gas pedal “got stuck,” Cundey added.
Harrison Township Mayor Adam Wingate and the police chief both applauded the quick response from the Harrison Township Fire District and other first responder agencies throughout the county.
“It’s a real shock, and it’s sad,” Cundey said. “I’m sure lots of people will have thoughts and prayers for both families.”
Thomas Hengel was a retired teacher from Clearview Regional High School, Cundey noted. He was also a longtime track coach, according to NJ.com.
“It’s just a tragedy,” said Wingate. He described the township, in Gloucester County, about a half hour outside Philadelphia, as a tight-knit community of about 14,000 people, where everyone knows everyone.
Wingate said at the high school, Hengel had a “Mr. Feeny way about him.” He compared him to the Boy Meets World character, played by actor William Daniels, because of Hengel’s passion for students’ success outside the sport.
“At the time, you might not have realized the lesson he was teaching, but even in gym class or as athletes on his teams, he pushed students to be the best version of themselves,” Wingate said. “Preparing them for success far beyond the classroom or track.”
Former student Kevin Walsh said Hengel was an “old-school coach,” who motivated and supported his student athletes even beyond their playing days. “He was almost like a second father figure to a lot of us,” Walsh said. “He really helped mold us during those impressionable years.”
Walsh recalled a time when Hengel showed up to his community college track meet on one of his days off from work. He remembers hearing Hengel’s motivational words from the crowd, pushing him past his physical limits — a moment and lesson he’s carried with him into adulthood.
Walsh said he and Hengel’s other students were “completely devastated” by his loss.
“It was just horrific, the nature of the accident. You just feel for him, his wife, and his family,” he said.
In a written tribute to the Hengel family on Facebook, Clearview graduate Andrea Eppehimer said, “Rest easy, Coach. You’ve earned it. And tell Lisa we’re grateful she was by your side every mile. We love you. We miss you. And we’ll keep running for you.”
Gus Ostrum, president of the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame, where Hengel was voted into back in 2018, also expressed his condolences.
”We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Coach Tom Hengel and his wife Lisa on January 18,“ Ostrum wrote in a statement. ”Mr. Hengel was a highly respected coach within the South Jersey cross country and track communities who was elected to the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. He and his wife will be missed greatly not only among their Clearview Regional High School colleagues but all around South Jersey for their wonderful commitment to our local students, athletes and their families.“
Staff photographer Elizabeth Robertson also contributed to this article.