Funeral set for Marlboro family killed in Freehold Township crash
MARLBORO - Mark Salib had graduated college one year early and was ready to attend medical school at Rowan University. He was 21 years old and, according to Brian Donahue, principal of Colts Neck High School, “had the right combination of intelligence and personality, and he would have made a fantastic doctor.”
But on Sunday, a five-car pileup on Route 9 in Freehold Township brought an end to those dreams, as Salib and his parents, Masoud and Hanaa, were killed as a result of the crash. Their funeral is planned for Friday morning.
Hanaa, 52, was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband Masoud, 61, was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries, authorities said. Mark, who was driving the family's 2017 Honda CR-V, died Tuesday afternoon, authorties said.
Mark Salib graduated Colts Neck High School in 2019, Donahue said. While there, he played on the football team as an offensive lineman, a guard and a defensive tackle.
Danny Salib, Mark's older brother and son to Masoud and Hanaa, survived his family. Danny Salib graduated from Colts Neck High School in 2015, according to Donahue.
“Our thoughts are with Danny during this difficult time,” Donahue said.
Head Coach Matt Ahearn said he remembered Salib’s great attitude that would manifest as kindness toward others.
“Basically, anyone he would come across, (he) was always very engaging and can have a conversation with anybody about anything,” Ahearn said.
He said he has been in contact with former classmates who were “distraught that he would be taken so young.”
Donahue said “The Salibs were a wonderful family, they were so supportive of our school and everything that their sons were involved in.”
St. Mina:Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II draws thousands to Holmdel
A GoFundMe has been set up for Danny Salib by Kiroles Soliman, his cousin. As of Friday, it had already raised over $195,000.
It reads, “Many have reached out wanting to help and this is the best way I believe we can come together in order to reduce his financial burden and bare on his own moving forward. … The Salib Family dedicated their lives to their children, church and the community. They were loving, selfless, and empathetic. Their absence will forever be felt in our hearts.”
According to the page, a funeral will be held from 7 to 10 a.m. Friday, July 8, at St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church in Holmdel, with burial to follow at Marlboro Memorial Cemetery.
"As we all make an effort to comprehend what happened, we ask for some time for us to mourn the loss of these beautiful souls," Soliman wrote on the GoFundMe page.
Mark Salib was driving his parents when their car was rear-ended in a crash before 1:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey.
The crash started when another 2019 Lexus NX traveling southbound on Route 9 sideswiped two other vehicles and then rear-ended Salib's SUV near the intersection with westbound Route 33, according to the Prosecutor's Office. The impact propelled Salib's vehicle into another car, authorities said. The Lexus driver, a 74-year-old Marlboro woman, was hospitalized with serious injuries, according to the Prosecutor's Office.
Crash witnesses or anyone with information that may help the investigation is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Nicolas Logothetis at 800-533-7443, or Freehold Township Police Department Patrolman Justin Nunno at 732-462-7908.
OliviaLiuis a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Marlboro NJ family funeral set for three killed in Freehold crash
