NEWARK, NEW JERSEY — Two women from Newark were killed Tuesday morning when a Mack tractor-trailer overturned onto their Chevrolet sedan, which was stopped in traffic on Interstate 78 East near milepost 56.8. Beyond the crash itself, those who knew Ayesha Wright and Kendra Rouse are remembering two women whose absence is already being deeply felt.
New Jersey State Police responded at approximately 9:08 a.m. A preliminary investigation found the Mack tractor hauling a utility trailer was traveling eastbound when it approached the stopped Chevrolet in the left lane. The truck driver attempted an evasive steering maneuver but the tractor-trailer overturned onto the car. Wright, 42, who was driving, and Rouse, 25, her passenger, both of Newark, suffered fatal injuries. The truck driver sustained minor injuries.
Friends and family have remembered Wright as a beloved sister, cousin, and woman of faith. “Rest my sister,” one relative wrote, adding that she “taught us how to praise” and would be deeply missed by her family.
Rouse was remembered by friends and former coworkers for her smile, her generosity, and the everyday conversations that turned a workplace friendship into something much deeper. One friend recalled the meals and homemade treats they exchanged. The same friend remembered Rouse as a devoted mother who spoke about her 3-year-old daughter constantly. “She loved her child deeply and talked about her every day,” the friend wrote.
The crash remains under investigation by New Jersey State Police.
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