Former Rahway basketball player killed in St. Georges Avenue crash
RAHWAY – A 19-year-old city man, a 2022 Rahway High School graduate who played on the boys basketball team, died Sunday after a two-vehicle crash on St. Georges Avenue.
Kenneth Posy was taken to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Rahway where he was pronounced dead, police said.
“We are all devastated by the sad news of Kenneth’s untimely passing,” said Jeff Lubreski, who was the Rahway boys basketball head coach last season. “He will always be remembered as an extremely humble and unassuming leader of our team. He would every day begin practice with kind words for both players and coaches alike. As a senior and our best player, he showed great respect and patience towards our younger inexperienced players with whom he was surrounded. He embraced the role of showing them the way and offering constant words of encouragement. Although a quiet leader. he played and practiced with great passion and effort. He left an indelible mark not only on the basketball program but also on the community. He will be sorely missed but forever remembered.”
Rahway police said they responded about 12:15 p.m. Sunday to St. Georges Avenue near Moses Drive on a report of a serious crash involving a 2017 Ford F-250 driven by Jose Santos, 48, of Clark, and a gray 2014 Infinity Q50 driven by Posy.
A preliminary investigation indicates the Infinity veered from the northbound lane of St. Georges Avenue into the southbound lanes and collided with the pickup truck, police said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Rahway Police Department Traffic Bureau.
Last season, Rahway had a young team and Posy was the main returning player with varsity experience. He embraced the role as a mentor to the younger players.
“He understood that more than maybe a kid who’s a teenager did and he just said, ‘I’m going to go with it,’” Lubreski said. “’I’ll do the best I can with it.’ A little bit maturity beyond his years there. There were times you could see the frustration coming, but he fought that and was like, ‘Well, it’s not going to get anything accomplished. So let me just go back to doing what I’m doing.’ I’m hoping that the kids that are back this year are really going to benefit from the way Kenny had patience and worked with them. … He did some things for his family and community to be proud of.”
Lubreski laughed when he was asked what position Posy played – he did it all, from forward to handling the ball. He was happy to jump in wherever needed. Posy’s most impressive thing, though, was his leadership. Lubreski noted that he also juggled a job during the season to go along with basketball and his school work.
“I can think of a bunch of situations where a player misses an easy shot or turns the ball over and being youthful, you could see them sort of magnifying that play," he said. "Kenny was always there, ‘Just move on. Move on. Forget about it. You’ll get it next time.’ He just was there for the miscues, just saying, ‘Look, don’t let it affect the next play. Don’t let it affect how you approach it. You’re going to get it. You’re going to be good.’ Just those constant words of support and, again, very selfless for a senior.”
Posy received an honorable mention last winter in the Home News Tribune/GMC All-Area Boys Basketball Teams.
Rahway athletic director Tom Lewis said Posy’s death has hit the community hard and that Posy had a good personality and good disposition.
"I liked him better as a person than a basketball player because of his niceness," Lewis said.
A GoFundMe page called Celebration of Life - Kenneth Posy was created Monday by Tarah-Lynn Saint-Elien to raise $10,000 for Posy's funeral expenses.
“’Family first’ was his motto. He was known for showing up for loved ones, friends, and willing to help anyone. His huge heart made loving him easy and his character was upstanding. Kenneth was a Rutgers future scholar, leader, an excellent basketball player, a future entrepreneur, and a hardworking brother and son,” was written on the page, which included a photo of Posy in graduation gown.
Anyone with information about the crash is urged to contact Traffic Investigator Erick Abuin at 732-827-2073 (Eabuin@rahwaypolice.com) or the Rahway Police Department main phone line at 732-388-1900. Anonymous tips are welcomed.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Rahway man killed in St. Georges Avenue crash
