Friends of Jon Mustafa's who witnessed the accident or its aftermath would not imagine it was their friend who suffered such a tragic fate in the vehicle, but would find out minutes later.

Still dealing with the initial shock of the accident and the tragic losses of Mustafa, 18, and Lesley Alison Carness, 16, friends told the Sentinel Tuesday of the events they had witnessed two days prior.

Rachel Rhodes, 19, who knew Mustafa since they were 3 years old, had been traveling along Route 18 southbound with her mother at the same time as Mustafa and saw what she described as a maniacal driver rushing through traffic.

In fact, Rhodes said she actually predicted the vehicle, a black Jeep, possibly a Cherokee, would cause an accident. She recalled telling her mother that driver was going to kill somebody someday. She did not imagine it would be that day, and that she would know the victims. She also did not know it was her friend who was driving in front of her.

Rhodes said the Jeep was speeding, driving aggressively, changing lanes and cutting off other drivers. By the time the cars reached a red light at the intersection of Route 18 and West Ferris Street, Mustafa's Honda Civic was in the left lane, Rhodes' car was behind it, another car was in the center lane and the Jeep was in the right lane.

After the light turned green, she said, the SUV cut in front of the car in the center lane, and then cut into the left lane in front of Mustafa and braked, prompting Mustafa to step on his brakes and swerve to avoid both the Jeep and the center lane car.

Mustafa's car then went over a curb and flipped over, knocking down a tree and some signs before coming to a stop.

Rhodes said she thinks the Jeep went even faster after the accident in an attempt to get out of trouble.

Authorities said road rage may have played a role in the accident. The driver of the Jeep had not been apprehended at press time yesterday, and authorities are investigating video surveillance of the highway and witness reports that include a partial license plate number, Assistant Middlesex County Prosecutor Nicholas Sewitch said.

Ali Abdel-Shafy, who said he was Mustafa's best friend, saw the aftermath of the accident that killed the 18-year-old college student who graduated from East Brunswick High School in June.

Abdel-Shafy said he did not recognize the car as belonging to his friend, so he did not stop at the scene. He later received a call from a friend telling him it was Mustafa who was in the accident. He

and his friends quickly went to the scene in a "dazed and confused" state. They watched as emergency personnel extricate the victims.

This week, friends and strangers alike paid their respects to Carness and Mustafa at a memorial shrine where the accident occurred. The shrine included a cross, many flowers, pictures and written comments from friends.

Ashley Stokes, a senior at East Brunswick High School, said she knew Mustafa, though he was a year older.

"I found out on Easter night and was in complete shock," she said. "I still couldn't believe it the next day."

She noted that a lot of students at the high school try to avoid using Route 18 even when going to school.

Heather Hatfield, who attended East Brunswick High School, also knew Mustafa and was very upset about the deaths.

"I didn't imagine it happening," she said.

Tacy Flora of East Brunswick came to the shrine with her daughter, Stephanie. Tacy said her eighth-grade daughter was so upset that she did not want to make the trip. Stephanie knew Mustafa as a counselor at the camp she went to, and she also has friends who had classes with Carness.

Tacy, noting that Route 18 is not the only dangerous road in the township, hoped that seeing the shrine would teach her daughter and others the dangers that exist on the highway.