The fiery crash happened on Bloomfield Avenue between High Street and Hillside Avenue in Glen Ridge just after 10:30 p.m., and the destruction was so great authorities initially believed more than one vehicle was involved.
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The 2008 Mercedes hit a light pole and a tree, scattering auto parts and debris along the crash scene.
The driver, 25-year-old Gabriel Flores, and his passenger, 20-year-old Carlos Nieves, were pronounced dead at the scene.
"It's a shock," Flores brother, Angel, said. "I don't know what to feel. You know, I don't...my mom is devastated. Heartbroken. But now I got to, you know, live. Without him. Every time I was in problems, he'll come. He'll come and always, you know, protect me. If I was in trouble, he'll come, help me, no matter what the problem was."
Nieves lived with his mom in Newark, where his building superintendent says Nieves was a kind person who was about to turn 21 on Friday.
The wreck took down trees and the light pole, prompting Bloomfield Avenue to be closed all night.
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The cause of the crash has not been released.
Officials continue to investigate the crash site, and authorities told family members that speed may be a factor.
Flores's family had moved to New Jersey from San Bernardino, California, just five years ago, looking for a better life. Now, they are devastated.
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