Mullica Hill, New Jersey — A tight‑knit South Jersey neighborhood is reeling after a Saturday evening accident claimed the lives of beloved high school coach Thomas “Tom” Hengel, 72, and his wife Lisa Hengel, 61. The couple’s 2020 Hyundai Palisade suddenly accelerated on Banff Drive and barreled through two front yards before smashing into the living room of a neighbor’s house and sparking a raging fire that engulfed both the vehicle and the home.
Police and first responders arrived just after 6:15 p.m., finding the SUV wedged inside the residence and flames licking at the walls. Fire crews worked swiftly to fight the blaze, but both Thomas and Lisa Hengel died from injuries sustained in the crash. Remarkably, the family inside the house escaped harm; they were in the kitchen when the vehicle broke through the wall.
Friends and neighbors have described the incident as nothing short of heartbreaking. The home struck by the SUV has been declared uninhabitable, and the occupants are now displaced as the community looks for ways to support them through recovery and rebuilding.
Tom Hengel was much more than just a familiar face on Banff Drive. He spent decades shaping young lives as a teacher and coach at Clearview Regional High School, mentoring generations of athletes in cross‑country, track and field, basketball, and more since the early 1980s. His devotion earned him a spot in the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame in 2018, a testament to his deep roots in the community and his impact on youth sports.
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Former athletes remember Hengel not just for his coaching prowess but for his guidance and belief in his students. One former runner recalled him as a “second father figure,” someone whose encouragement helped shape not just race times but life paths. Many say Lisa, a landscape designer who tended stunning gardens around South Jersey for more than 30 years, was by his side in every way, enriching the community with her own quiet creativity and kindness.
Investigators from the Harrison Township Police Department and the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office are still working to determine what exactly caused the vehicle to accelerate so suddenly. Authorities are considering possibilities like a medical event or an issue with the gas pedal, but no official conclusion has been reached.
As Mullica Hill mourns, tributes have poured in from former students, colleagues, and neighbors who say the Hengels embodied care, dedication, and warmth. For many, the couple’s legacy will live on in the lives they touched — on tracks, in classrooms, and in quiet suburban gardens where their influence quietly grew.
