Essex County Couple Killed In Crash, ‘Shared Life’ For 33 Years

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Daniel Espy, 61, worked on talk shows, fought fires and was a car fanatic. His wife, Barbara, 64, was a skilled local bookkeeper and loved to roller skate. And together, they enjoyed more than three decades of marriage before being tragically killed in a head-on crash in South Jersey last weekend.

The crash happened around 5 p.m. on Jan. 21 on the 300-block of Mullica Hill Road in Harrison Township when a 71-year-old man driving a Camaro veered into the oncoming lane and hit the Espys’ Ford Fiesta, authorities said.

The crash caused the Fiesta to roll onto its side against a utility pole, according to nj.com. Daniel – the driver - was pronounced dead at the scene. Barbara passed away on the ride to the hospital.

The Camaro driver, a resident of Media, Pa., suffered serious head and leg injuries and was transported to Cooper University Hospital, according to the report. He was not wearing a seat belt, authorities said.

No charges have been filed as of Wednesday, but the crash remains under investigation, police told NJ.com.

• See related article: 2 Killed, 1 Hurt In Head-On South Jersey Crash: Cops

According to their obituary, the Espys were married in 1985 and lived in Essex Fells. Daniel was a lifelong resident of Essex Fells; Barbara grew up in Newark and was formerly a resident of Irvington and Caldwell.

Here’s how their obituary described them:

• “Daniel was a television EVS operator for NBC-Universal, working on several talk shows, including Maury Povich and Jerry Springer. He honorably served in the National Guard and was a volunteer firefighter for Essex Fells from 1984 through 1998. In his spare time, he was a car enthusiast, owning several collector automobiles. He was a member of the LaSalle Cadillac Club, Thunderbird Owner’s Club and on the board of the Friars Club.”
• “Barbara was employed with Verizon in Newark for over 30 years and currently was a bookkeeper for Creative Concepts Landscaping in West Orange. She was a member of local roller skating clubs.”

The pair are survived by their children, Jennifer C. O’Connor and her husband Mark and Timothy Espy; cherished grandchildren, McKenna and Jaxon O’Connor and Barbara’s sisters, Christine Boniecki and Louise Aspell. Also surviving are “many caring extended family members and friends,” their obituary states.

A private funeral is planned for Jan. 26.

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Photo: Farmer Funeral Home