Former NBA player Dajuan Wagner was in crash that led to NJ trooper's death

WEST DEPTFORD, New Jersey -- One of New Jersey's best-known basketball players was involved in a car crash that led to the death of a state trooper earlier this week, state police said.

Dajuan Wagner was a Camden High School star who went on to play in the NBA before injuries derailed his career. He was driving southbound on Interstate 295 in West Deptford Township on Monday night when his car was rear-ended by another vehicle driven by Willard Hamilton Jr., a 27-year-old Paulsboro resident.

Hamilton's vehicle then hit a guardrail on the left side of the road and caught fire.

Trooper Sean Cullen was among those who responded to the crash. The 31-year-old Cinnaminson resident was walking near the crash when he was fatally struck by a passing vehicle.

Wagner was treated at a hospital for minor injuries. Hamilton was not injured.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. No charges have been filed.

Wagner, 33, of West Deptford, was considered one of the best high school basketball players in New Jersey. The former Camden High School player is best remembered for scoring 100 points in a game, and he went on to play at the University of Memphis for a season before the Cleveland Cavaliers chose him with the sixth overall pick of the 2002 NBA draft.

Wager struggled as a professional, though, as he was hampered by injuries and health problems.