Two Cranford High students killed, teen charged with two murders

Two Cranford High School students were killed Monday evening after being struck by a vehicle while riding electric bicycles on a residential street in Cranford, New Jersey, authorities said. The crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Burnside Avenue near Lincoln Avenue. A 17-year-old male from nearby Garwood was arrested and later charged with two counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors said.

Union County prosecutors said the driver, who has not been publicly identified because of his age, was in custody after fleeing the scene. Officials said the vehicle involved was a black 2021 Jeep Compass. The two victims, both 17, have been identified by family and obituary notices as Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas. Both were students at Cranford High School and were pronounced dead after being taken to area hospitals.

Investigators are treating the case as criminal and examining whether the collision was intentional, prosecutors said. Law enforcement sources indicated the incident may have stemmed from a dispute or breakup, though no definitive motive has been announced. Family members and neighbors offered a different account, alleging one of the girls had been stalked by the accused in...