Crash Kills Promising Ed. Major

By Cara Latham

Senior education and psychology major David A. Hunt, 22, was killed in a car accident on Friday morning while he was on his way to attend the New Jersey Education Association Conference in Atlantic City.

At 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 11, while traveling south on Route 206 through Shamong Township, N.J., Hunt lost control of his 2005 Ford Econoline for an unknown reason sate police said. He sideswiped a 2005 MAC dump truck in the northbound lane, which caused him to cross over into the northbound lane, where he hit an oncoming flatbed truck head-on. The accident occurred near the intersection of the state highway with Atsion Road. Hunt was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the state police, according to an accident report given by a representative at its office.

Friends at Rider are mourning his loss.

“We are all in shock,” said Rider graduate Bryan McCranor (’05), Hunt’s former roommate and friend. “You don’t expect that this is going to happen. We are dealing the best that we can.”

Hunt’s friends also spoke of his character.

“He was upbeat and motivated,” said junior Amy Burkland. “He had the brightest outlook on life. He always had a lot to do and made sure he got it done because he knew life goes on, and we have to do the same.”

“Everybody that Dave knew, including family, friends and colleagues, lost a great guy,” added friend Dennis Breza. “He will be missed greatly.”

Hunt was a student teacher of the Millstone River School’s fourth-grade class, in Plainsboro, N.J.

Michael Jones, one of Hunt’s cooperating teachers at the school, said Hunt possessed a charisma that would allow him to be successful in whatever he wanted to do.

“Men in the elementary education profession are rare and David was one of those future professionals who would have touched many lives,” said Jones.

Becki King, another one of Hunt’s cooperating teachers, said while she and Jones only had worked with him for a few months, they and their students grew very fond of him, and said that he was consistently thoughtful, humorous and caring.

“He was well aware of the value and importance of having that ‘one’ teacher in your life and was determined to be that ‘one’ for his future students,” she said.

Hunt had previously received two associate degrees from Mercer County College and attended Rutgers. In addition to attending class, owning his own condominium in Pennington, N.J., and student teaching, Hunt also worked two jobs. He was a technician at Eckerd Pharmacy in Mercerville, N.J., and was employed with NMR Inc. of Cranbury, N.J., as a computer technician.

According to his friends, he loved the children with whom he worked at school, and was focused, but also liked to have a good time.

“He was very reliable,” said roommate and friend, junior Dan DiMassa. “I could call him from Katmandu, and he would come and pick us up even if he had an exam in the morning. Every week, we would go to the library, sit down, open books, and then close them, and go to the pub.

“It’s shocking — one day you’re getting a text message to go to the bar, and the next, you’re a pallbearer,” he added.

Hunt liked to watch cooking shows and loved Rachael Ray, according to his friends. He also liked to travel.

“One weekend, we would be in the Outer Banks, and the next weekend, we would be in Montreal,” said DiMassa.

A wake was held on Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., after which funeral services were held at the Winowicz Funeral Home in South Trenton. Hunt was buried in the Garden of the Cross section in Greenwood Cemetery of Hamilton Township, N.J.

Hunt is survived by his parents Arthur W. and Katherine Domiano Hunt of Hamilton, N.J.; his brother, Rider junior Jonathan M. Hunt of Mercerville; his maternal grandparents, Michael and Gelsomina Cherico Domiano of Ewing Township; three uncles and their spouses; three aunts; and many cousins.

Contributing reporting by Kerri Weidler and Nicole Southern. Some information provided by The Times of Trenton.