Executive director of NJ State Commission of Investigation killed in crash

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- New Jersey leaders are mourning the loss this week of a state official who broke barriers.

Chadd Lackey, the executive director of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation , was killed Wednesday in a car crash in Hamilton, Mercer County, the commission announced in a statement.

Lackey was a longtime member of the commission staff who worked his way up to become the agency's first Black executive director in January 2020. He served the state for nearly 20 years.

"Tammy and I are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of New Jersey State Commission of Investigation Executive Director Chadd Lackey," Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement this week. "During his time at the SCI, he took on organized crime, opioid abuse, corruption, and countless other issues. There is no doubt New Jersey is a safer and more just place because of him. Our heartfelt prayers are with his family and his colleagues at the SCI during this difficult time."

Hamilton police said Lackey, 55, was driving a Ford Edge SUV at Route 130 and Klockner Road when the Ford was struck by a Honda Accord in the intersection.

Police believe the driver of the Honda, a 51-year-old Bordentown woman, may have run a red light while driving southbound on Route 130.

Both Lackey and his passenger, a 44-year-old woman from Hamilton, were taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center. Lackey was pronounced dead there, and the woman was last listed in critical condition.

The Honda driver was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

A former deputy director and investigative counsel for the NJSCI, Lackey helped lead investigations into organized crime and the opioid epidemic.

"We are devastated by the tragic news of Chadd's death," SCI Chair Tiffany Williams Brewer said in a statement Wednesday. "On behalf of my fellow Commissioners and the entire SCI staff, we extend our prayers and deepest sympathies to the Lackey family and his loved ones. Our SCI family, the NJ Bar and the law enforcement community have suffered a great loss today as we embark upon a time of healing and reflection on Chadd's legacy."

Before serving on the commission, Lackey was an assistant state attorney in Miami-Dade County, Florida, founding and managing the Community Prosecutions Unit there. He graduated from Northwood University and earned a law degree from Temple University.