Erick "Buster" Clements poses with his
wife, Kimberly, on their wedding day two years ago. Clements was fatally
struck by a motor vehicle in Egg Harbor City Thursday afternoon.
The community in
Hammonton was grieving Friday after a man who was frequently seen
walking around town with a smile was fatally struck by a motor vehicle
Thursday night.
Erick Clements, who was known as
‘“Buster,” was hit at 3:50 p.m. near the intersection of Philadelphia
Avenue and Esslair Street in Egg Harbor City, Police Chief John McColgan
said.
He was struck by a vehicle driven
by Jeanne Weinberger, 63, of Mullica, which was traveling north on
Philadelphia Avenue, McColgan said.
Weinberger stayed at the scene of
the accident, and the cause is being investigated by Patrolman Dave
Aldridge and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident
Unit.
“It’s a shame,” McColgan said. He
added that he did not know Clements personally, but had seen him
walking around town. No charges have yet been filed against the driver.
Clements' wife, Kimberly, said her husband had been walking to a friend’s house at the time of the accident.
“He was a very loving man,
everybody loved him,” Clements said of her husband. The 43-year-old had
four step-children and two grandchildren, and was a die-hard Eagles fan.
The couple enjoyed taking walks together, and Buster was known to spend
lots of time walking around town.
They married two years ago, but had been together for 17 years.
The couple lived in the Weekstown
section of Mullica Township, but Clements grew up in Hammonton, where
friends there said he had been a staple in the community.
“He was like a Hammonton icon,
you would ride through town and he would always be walking,” John Scola,
a friend of Clements, said.
Growing up in Hammonton, Scola
said Clements had been almost adopted by the community. Parents would
take him to football games, and when he was on his walks, residents
would offer to drive him to his destination.
“We’ve been around with Buster our whole lives,” Scola said. “He always had a smile.”
His Facebook post about Buster’s
accident had garnered over 100 comments by early Friday afternoon, with
many people in the Hammonton area remembering his friendly personality.
Jaime Cirillo, who also grew up
in Hammonton, said that she remembered going to school in the morning
and seeing Buster walking around town.
“He would always smile and wave,” she said. “It’s really just sad.”
Joseph Carruolo, of Hammonton,
said he and Buster played Little League together, and said he had been
“a fixture in the downtown for years.” He said Buster was known for
making people laugh, and was easily one of the most well-known residents
in town.
“He was one of those people who
truly loved everybody and who everybody liked,” Carruolo said. “Everyone
has a story about Buster.”
Any witnesses to the accident have been asked to call Egg Harbor City Police at 609-965-1200.
Contact Christie Rotondo:
609-272-7275
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