A crowd gathered to mourn two teens struck and killed by a car in North Bergen Saturday night. Watch video
NORTH BERGEN -- Gathered on the sidewalk around a makeshift memorial on Sunday, a crowd stood in silence, mourning the two teens who were struck and killed by a car the night before.
The crowd of more than 50 people had gathered near the corner of John F. Kennedy Boulevard and 26th Street, just a few yards away from where the two teens -- ages 16 and 17 -- were killed after a car went off the road and over a curb at 26th Street late Saturday.
A mangled metal fence, a downed tree, and a smashed bench remained scattered on the front lawn of a home near the corner of the intersection.
Police blocked off a small area on the side of the road directly behind the memorial to protect the crowd from the traffic passing by.
Among the two teens killed was Bryan Rodriguez, a freshman at Union City High School, according to a statement from the school.
"I knew him since 2012," said 15-year-old Yazmin Leveratto, who attends Union City High School.
She said Rodriguez loved to dance, and that they would dance together.
Leveratto was with her mother, Brenda Barahona, who added that she knew Rodriguez and said he was a very sweet kid.
Several other of Rodriguez' classmates gathered to pay their respects.
Rafael Pereira, 18, said he was "very upbeat, energetic (and) an amazing person."
"As soon as you were with him you got a good vibe," said 17-year-old Cristian Munoz.
Noel Herrera, of Cliffside Park, was also killed in the accident. Another 17-year-old was critically injured.
Standing around dozens of lit candles, flowers, and posters, people cried and held each other, wrote goodbyes with chalk on the sidewalk and gave what money they had in the plastic containers placed in front of the memorial.
Authorities have arrested one person in connection with the deaths, according to a Hudson County official in a previous report.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.