Colts Neck Mourns Cory Aufiero, 19, Killed By Car

COLTS NECK, NJ — The community of Colts Neck is in shock and deep mourning after a young man from the area was tragically killed this weekend by a driver with a suspended New Jersey license.

As Patch reported, Cory Aufiero, 19, was killed Friday night on the streets of downtown New Brunswick. The Rutgers University sophomore tripped and fell into the street at about 9:30 p.m., at which point he was hit by a Somerset man who police say was driving with a suspended license.

Aufiero had just graduated from Colts Neck High School in 2017, where he was on the varsity golf team. He was studying to be a business major at Rutgers.

"It's unbelievable. He was a great kid," said Bob Gartner, the director of golf instruction at the Colts Neck golf club. Gartner coached Aufiero in golf for years, and for the past three summers, Aufiero worked as a counselor at their golf summer camp.

"All the other kids loved him," he said. "At the summer camp, the kids got to pick which counselor they wanted, and Cory was always the first one the kids requested. Every week the kids would say, 'We want Cory, we want Cory!' He was helpful; he was funny; he had a great sense of humor. He was that kind of a kid."

"He walked in and had a great smile, and the kids migrated to him," Gardner added. "He was an up-personality kid. He was a good player, too. He wasn't good enough to play college-level, but he was a competitive high school player. In the winter, he went to bowling. I liked teaching him."

Aufiero competed on the varsity boys' golf team during his years at Colts Neck, where he was a standout. He was named a top returner for the 2017 season. He loved golf, his family wrote in his obituary, and his favorite golfer was Jordan Spieth.

The varsity golf coach at Colts Neck High School, Bryan Parks, said he was devastated by the news.

"As a friend, teammate, or student, Cory was one of the most loyal kids you would ever meet," said Coach Parks. "He had an infectious personality that just lit up a room. I don’t think he ever had a bad day, and if he did, he never would show it ... The kid wouldn’t think twice about giving you the shirt off his back. He had a tremendous impact on the Colts Neck community, and his loss will be felt for a long time."

Grief counselors were made available at the high school Monday for students, and the Colts Neck football field was the scene of a vigil for Aufiero this past Saturday night.

"We are all heartbroken to hear of the passing of Cory. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time," said Rebecca Policastro, the communications coordinator for the Freehold Regional district, which includes Colts Neck.

The driver who hit him, David Stewart, 36, of Somerset, has been issued a summons for driving with a suspended New Jersey license.

The tragedy happened Friday night, Sept. 28. Stewart was driving a 2011 Nissan Sentra and traveling west on George Street near Albany and Somerset streets, when suddenly Aufiero, walking on the sidewalk, lost his footing and stumbled onto the street, according to authorities. He was struck by the car. EMTs tried to revive him at the scene, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Now, a Colts Neck family must prepare to bury a young man who had his whole life ahead of him.

"Come springtime, Cory could be found on the golf course. He loved baseball and the Mets, snowmobiling, wave running with his brothers and family trips to Lake George," his obituary read. "Always smiling, Cory enjoyed spending time with family and friends; his favorite was eating meatballs with the family and going camping on the weekends."

Aufiero was a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Rutgers.

"He touched the lives of everyone he has met at Rutgers. He was a natural leader and found peace in bringing happiness to others. Cory found a way to shed a ray of humor on every situation and lightened the mood everywhere he went," his family wrote.

Arrangements are being handled by Holmdel Funeral Home. Visitation will be Tuesday, October 2 and Wednesday, October 3 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at the Holmdel Funeral Home, 26 South Holmdel, Holmdel. Mass of Christian burial will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s RC Church, 1 Phalanx Road, Colts Neck.

Prior reporting: Rutgers Student From Colts Neck Hit, Killed By Car: Prosecutor

Photo of Cory Aufiero used with permission from Holmdel Funeral Home; top image via Shutterstock. Editor's Note: Patch originally published that he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.