Englewood superintendent dies, son injured in Yonkers car crash

The Englewood Public School District’s superintendent, who had just begun working for the district in August, died Sunday in a car crash.

The Westchester County Police Department received a call about the crash that killed Superintendent Ronel Cook, 51, of Newburgh, N.Y., at 1:16 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Cook’s 2015 Nissan Altima drove up an embankment after veering off the Cross County Parkway in Yonkers, hitting a stone wall connected to the Seminary Avenue overpass.

An investigation is still ongoing into what caused Cook’s car to leave the roadway, said Kieran O’Leary, a police spokesperson. There were a few witnesses who said Cook was not speeding and did not need to swerve to avoid another vehicle.

Cook was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester hospital, where he was pronounced dead, O'Leary said. His 18-year-old son suffered serious but not life-threatening injures in the crash, he said.

Englewood Board of Education President David Matthews said that in the short time Cook was part of the district, he was "intelligent, committed, and had great attention to detail."

"He had developed in such a short period of time a true liking for the Englewood school district," Matthews said. "He’s going to be sorely missed. He had just started on so many different things that we need to address in the district. He was very well-liked and respected by the board, parents, students and faculty."

Matthews said the news came as a tremendous shock to both him and the community, as he had just sat next to Cook on Thursday to listen to two student presentations at the last school board meeting.

“This is a shock and just a tragedy,” Matthews said. “It shows you how precious life is.”

Before coming to Englewood, Cook was superintendent at New York's Catskill Central School District from 2017 to July 2022 and was deputy superintendent in the Poughkeepsie City School District from 2015 to 2017, spending a total of 11 years there. In a statement, the Catskill school district said Cook’s “presence here touched every aspect of our school community” and that officials offered “our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and coworkers during this time of great sadness.”

Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes said Cook's death was a "terrible loss" and that his heart goes out to Cook's family.

"We felt that in the short time he was with us, the city was in very capable hands," Wildes said. "We were blessed to be graced with his presence, albeit all too short."

Grief counseling will be available in both the Englewood and Catskill districts for students and staff. Acting Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Sifuentes will become the acting superintendent.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Englewood NJ superintendent Ronel Cook died, son injured in car crash