NORTH BERGEN — Friends and neighbors described the Brooklyn, N.Y., man killed by a police car Wednesday morning on the New Jersey Turnpike as a hardworking family man.
Jason Champion, 41, lived alone in a house on Herzl Street in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn.
He lived with his mother and brother, but his mother passed away a few years ago and his brother moved to Georgia. The Peach State is also where Champion's two children live, friends said.
Desean Harris, who identified himself as a friend of Champion's, said he was funny, friendly and family-oriented.
"He was a good guy," said Harris, 20. "He was like an uncle to me. He was real funny. He would always tell me to keep my head up and stay off the streets."
Darryl Johnson, another friend, called Champion a "hardworking man." He's been trying to reach Champion's family in Georgia, unsuccessfully, so far, and was also looking to see who would care for Champion's two dogs.
The New York City Housing Authority, where Champion worked, issued a statement Wednesday:
"We are saddened by the unexpected loss of Jason Champion. For more than 15 years, he served as a caretaker at the Williams Plaza development in Brooklyn and was a valued member of the NYCHA community. We offer his family, friends and colleagues our heartfelt condolences."
Garth Wickham, a neighbor, called Champion's death a "terrible tragedy."
No one knew why Champion was in New Jersey Wednesday morning. He and Nuwnah Laroche, 34, of East Elmhurst, N.Y., were traveling southbound on the New Jersey Turnpike in a 2001 Cadillac Escalade at about 1 a.m. when the SUV broke down.
No one answered the door at Laroche's family home and neighbors declined to comment.
The two were on foot in the left lane of the northbound highway when a Washington Township police car struck them, New Jersey State Police said. They were pronounced dead at 4:33 a.m.
James Kleimann may be reached at jkleimann@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskleimann. Find NJ.com on Facebook. e