Two men originally from Lincroft and Tinton Falls were among three killed in a fiery crash in Arizona over the Labor Day weekend, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Dead are Gene Charles Bailey, 26, originally of Tinton Falls; Ryan John Daly, 25, of Lincroft, and Ryan Higgins, 26.

Stephan Schrankel, 26, originally from Tinton Falls, was reported comatose and hospitalized in critical condition.

All four men lived in Pacific Beach, Calif. The identities of two of the the dead were determined by a check of dental records.

From the story:

The victims were in a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV going north on Arizona state Route 95 on the way to a Labor Day holiday outing in Lake Havasu. The crash involving the Tahoe and a semi-truck occurred at the intersection of Route 72, 12 miles south of Parker, about 2 a.m., state officials said. Both vehicles rolled and burst into flames.

The two occupants of the semi-truck were injured and were hospitalized in Phoenix.

Bailey and Schrankel were lifelong friends who grew up in Tinton Falls, Bailey’s father, Gene Bailey Sr., told the newspaper. He said his son founded Pacific Beach Mortgage Solutions about two years ago.

Daly, a native of Lincroft and graduate of Villanova University, served as an officer in the Navy for three years, was stationed in San Diego for a time and became employed last May as a direct investments specialist at Lpl Financial Services in San Diego after he left the service, said his mother, Maria Ilarraza.

The Union-Tribune had no background info on Ryan Higgins.

E-mail this story