Robert J. Veras-Toribio, 22, of North Brunswick and Kelvin Lantigua, 21, of New Brunswick were killed. Watch video
NEW BRUNSWICK - Police have identified two men killed early Monday when their vehicle went off the road and landed in the Raritan River.
The driver was identified as Robert J. Veras-Toribio, 22, of North Brunswick. He was found unresponsive and unconscious just outside the vehicle, police said in a statement.
Veras-Toribio was found by friends and police officers who arrived at the scene and began administering CPR.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The passenger was identified as Kelvin Lantigua, 21, of New Brunswick.
Lantigua was found inside the vehicle. He was also pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the 2009 Honda Accord the men were traveling in around 1:40 a.m. went through a wooded area on Route 18 North near the exit to Route 27 and landed in the river.
The New Brunswick Fire Department responded to the scene and assisted with clearing the wooded area and gaining access to the vehicle, police said.
A preliminary investigation indicates the driver lost control of the vehicle, which left the roadway and struck a guardrail before hitting the water, police said.
The cause of the accident is under investigation. Route 18 North was closed for about four hours and has since re-opened.
Anyone with information about this crash is asked to contact Patrolman Sean Cahill of the New Brunswick Police Department's Traffic Safety Unit at 732-745-5005.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.