nbc 10's denise nicano reports, multiple communities are in mourning. >> reporter: a deadly wrong-way crash brought residents in elmer salem county closer to tragedy. state police identified the driver of the car that ran head on into trooper frankie williams car killing him as one of the town's own. >> it's a small world. i'm not even sure. it is a small town. you know, 1,000 people. >> reporter: nino and his father sam aidan run elmer's diner. the talk was on the deadly crash involving one of the regulars, 61-year-old lloyd ruddily. >> once in a while i see him at the lunch. he comes and picks up lunch. >> reporter: according to the facebook page the class of 1973 ruddily was class valedictorian and went on to become a doctor of psychiatry. police say just before 7:00 last night on route 55 trooper williams was responding to a call of an irradic driver in a car mafrping the description of the one ruddily was driving. the car crossed the grassy median from the southbound to northbound lanes of route 55 and struck trooper williams head on. devastation for his former neighbors. >> this