What a tragedy.. God Bless them.

Horrible and tragic. That poor man! Prayers to his family.

What a shame. Trying not to tie up traffic and losing your life.
If you are in this situation, please DO NOT TRY TO MOVE THE VEHICLE
OFF THE ROAD! CALL THE POLICE AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE
TRAFFIC. RIP - Sympathies to the family.

You are so right. People also need to pay attention when there is a disabled vehicle and slow down. So sad.

totally tragic!For all involved.....

Very sad story. My condolences to his family.

OMG, how awful! My sympathies to the family

Very sad! Pay attention people!

No acceptable reason the other drivers could not see something stopped in the roadway ahead if they are watching the road like they should be. There are rarely "accidents": these tragedies are almost always the result of irresponsilbe behavior and a culture that gets away with making excuses instead of demanding accountability. I hope they get jail time.

1. Did he have 4-way blinkers on? It was night.
2. Was the kid on cell or texting? (2 of them.. both 23 years old)
Unbelievable how this occurred... getting hit twice!!

Even on the back roads out in Jackson driving to and from the vocational school at night, I can see plenty far enough ahead at the speed limit to stop, with the old sealed beam headlights on a '99 Jeep Cherokee. I'm not talking about a sudden obstruction like a deer, but something stopped up ahead, lit up or not. Rainy or bad weather can obviously add to the situation, (drivers should have sense enough to slow down anyway) but my point is the other drivers are AT FAULT because there is most likely no reasonable explanation to warrant the crashes as unavoidable.
I'll pray for all involved, regardless.

I'm waiting for someone to blame the current administration, traffic cams, gang activity. Or some other ludicrous irrelevant thing to this tragic accident. God Bless the families of everyone involved, I pray for peace and comfort.

Purely tragic God bless this man and his family.

SO, SO SAD. YOUNG DRIVERS, WAKE UP......THIS ISN'T THE INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDWAY, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. WAKE UP. THERE ARE OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD BESIDES 'YOUR NIBBS'.......

There is no right answer here. Someone died and ultimately this girl that hit him must live with that. I am sure it is a lessoned learned. The very hard way. Waiting for police.. great idea. I often help stranded people. I will be much more careful going forward...
My sympathies..

Unbelievable. A man survives being hit by a car and thrown thirty feet only to be run down a second time shortly after. Traffic accidents are so common around here that they don't really affect me, but I don't see how anyone can't be sad reading this.

The negligence of the other two drivers is astounding, especially the second one. That road is not curvy or anything. There is a major accident in front of you and you can't stop? I hope this is thoroughly investigated and penalties handed out appropriately.

The nightmare of breaking down in the center or left lane on a busy highway. Put on 4 ways ASAP! Leave car, when safe cross to the safety of the shoulder, call cops and wait. If somebody hits the car with the 4 ways flashing, it's their fault and it's only a car than can be replaced, that's why we all have insurance. I feel so bad for the man and his family.

Willie was a good person, a good friend. I hope for once the system doesn't fail us & the two careless drivers that hit him get the maximum penalty they can receive.

My heart goes out to the family and I agree with everyone and what they say

How many people have to Die on that stretch of 70 before they lower the speed limit. The Speed limit is 50 and in NJ unfortunately that means people drive 60. That part of 70 is way to congested for people to be driving that fast. I live right off Burnt Tavern and 70 and lately it seems like we have a accident a week (usually) with a fatality on 70. Slow down!! The extra 15 seconds you save by driving fast on that stretch of the highway isn't worth killing somebody. And while I'm at it stay the hell off your cell phone your not that important!

There's a reason why it's called an accident. I don't know any of of you who were involved or were witnesses to this tragedy but I'm praying for all of you and most especially for you, Courtney. All of us have made mistakes while driving, even those who are so quick to pass judgement. I'm grateful that none of my mistakes have ever resulted in a tragedy, and so should the rest of you.

And what a hypocrite I am. For all I know it was unavoidable.

Will was a good person, how awful for his family. I can't stop thinking about them, I'm so sorry for their loss.

DId u ever think that the two people who caused this may be a nice person but just happen to make a mistake were any of the people on here bitching even on the roads last night because I now I was and man it was foggy. the fact of the matter is thing happen for good or for worse no one here was there to see it happen so stop acting like you do horrible lost of life yes.

I came across this site right before the police got there and let me tell you all the scene was total chaos cars and pieces of cars everywhere so before anyone starts crying out for penalties maybe you should know the facts because I was there as the dust was settling I had no ideas which was which I have been driving for about 30 years my heart goes out tall of those involved and condolences to the man who lost his life

There are a plethora of roads in the area, where the speed limit has to be revisited, as the population has increased, the speed of the roads should have decreased. Examples are Rt70, Jordan Road, Princeton Ave, and a host of others. Will someone explain to me why Rt 88's speed limit is 35mph, while Jordan and Princeton's and other smaller roads within Brick are 40 mph or more?

Damn, what terrible luck. RIP

firstly Im pretty sure none of you people who are so quick to insist the people involved in this crash should be punished, know anything that happened or where there. Im also pretty positive that you have all made mistakes while driving and just because of your age were not punished unfairly. If a car is stopped on the middle of 70 with no lights in the middle of fog and rain, it was pretty hard too see. Every person who writes a ignorant comment towards what should happen to the people involved and their punishment in my opinion I hope you endure something so tragic where you are punished unfairly. Mistakes happen, people are extremely sorry and I know anyone of you could have been driving down route 70 at the time and made the same mistake. OPEN YOUR EYES YOUR NOT ALL PERFECT AND THESE ARE YOUNG GOOD PEOPLES LIFES WERE TALKING ABOUT, IF YOU DONT KNOW THE REAL STORY AND HAVE THE AUDACITY TO MAKE CLAIMS ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE DONE, GET OVER YOURSELFS ! I KNOW YOUVE MADE MISTAKES BEFORE TOO!

Never attempt to set up road flares behind tour vehicle if you are in traffic. Wait in your car, put on your hazards if they work, call the police. If you absolutely must leave you're vehicle wait for a safe opportunity when traffic is either stopped due to a traffic light or when and only when you are absolutely certain there are no cars coming. If you need to, try to exit out the passenger door so you are at least exitin either off the roadway or closer to the shoulder.

Arrived at the scene at 8:44, saw the wreckage.. So frightening. RIP and condolences to the family. Thanking god my boyfriend and I were running a few minutes late.

Aren't we suppose to have control of our vehicle at all times? Maybe I took my drivers test many years ago but I don't think the rules have changed since. People need to slow down and concentrate on driving and this comes from education by parents and good driving habits.. Like the old saying "the life you save may be your own".

Nobody realizes that lowering the speed limit does not solve the issue... It's stupid careless mistakes that are the issues. I do not point the finger of blame because accidents are accidents. I don't think 2 23 year olds said hey let's run down a citizen who broke down in the middle of one of the busiest highways in nj...

How horrible, so sad............RIP feel for the family and friends.

No another...RT. 70 http://brick.patch.com/articles/4-injured-1-charged-with-dwi-in-brick-accident

It is ashame this happened. Was anyone paying attention? Its almost like people do not look ahead when they drive anymore.....its like they drive just to drive. Driving is not a hobby. It takes a lot of skill and a lot of detail....

It's unfair to assume the two 23 year old drivers were texting, but when I look around as I drive or am walking my dog... it seems almost everyone under the age of 30 is looking down at their phones while driving... so that's why we assume.... because that's what you see all the time.

If you HIT SOMETHING in FRONT of YOU from BEHIND, IT"S YOUR FAULT! It doesn't matter if the driver in front of you SLAMS on his BRAKES for NO REASON, YOU should BE AWARE AT ALL TIMES. Careless driving leading to MANSLAUGHTER! Drug/alcohol testing should also be required at the scene. My thoughts and prayers for the family of the deceased.

This is a real shame, God Bless his this mans family.

I am not sure how you hit a car that is not moving. I attempted to get on to 70 after this happened it was still not completely dark out given the time, so I am really questioning what these drivers were doing while driving.

As for if he had hazards on or a blinker -- sometimes when your car dies putting lights on is not an option if the battery happens to die, and that is the worst luck but this should be a message to be more observant when you are driving. I would not be able to live with my self knowing my ignorance and lack of paying attention aided in the death of another person.

The news rarely gives the full story and that's something everyone should keep in mind, especially the commenter "Dan" who is blaming EVERYTHING on the girl driver (which is ignorant).
I agree that for the first car to have hit a stalled out SUV in the middle of the road there must have been some severe negligence on the part of the driver. However, having read that the man was thrown 30' left towards the meridian, and that the first car that hit him came to rest PAST the SUV and the victim, I think it's highly probable that the girl who hit the victim was probably paying attention to the just recently wrecked vehicles on her right side of the road as she was passing them, never thinking that the victim would be 30' ahead in the road near the meridian. I don't know what the first driver who hit him was doing, but I suspect the second driver was probably more distracted by the recent wrecks on the side of the road than by anything else. Freak accidents happen, and it's a shame, but to blame everything on this girl is an injustice.

Why does patch even allow comments to be posted on stories like these?? They arent needed, no one ever has anything positive to contribute to the story, and majority of people come on here to throw around baseless accusations and assumptions in an already tragically sad situation. None of you know anything about the actions of any of the drivers prior to the acident, or of the victim himself, and to believe you know or understand otherwise is foolish and offensive at least. Post well-wishes if you must but why does anyone feel the need to come on here and pass judgment on ANYONE, be it right or wrong?? Comments on stories of accidents or tragic deaths should be shut down out of respect for the family members of all involved.

I couldn't of said that better Hollowman. Condolences to his friends & family & even though Will is not here the way u want him to be, remember he is here spiritually. Pls put faith into a higher power that everything happens according to GODS plan & judgements will be passed only by him. Prayers to all involved.

On Monday, I saw a man kneeling and praying at the intersection of Rt 70 & Brunttraven/Bridge Ave Extention.. (Not knowing this story yet) It was obvious someone very dear, special and loved had been killed! Now, there is a cross and rocks marking the stop where William Cassano, a young man loss his life in such terrible circumstances!
We must "always" remember.. "We are very "fragile" as humans in everyway and we "all" should always use the utmost caution and care with our car on the roads!

My husband Marty and I send our most heart felt sympathies to the Cassano famlies and our sincere condolences to the other people involved who have to carry this tragic weight for a very long time to come!
MJ Fletcher