Chadd W. Lackey, the executive director of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation,  was killed early Wednesday morning in a motor vehicle accident in Hamilton, according to a statement by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy's office.

Lackey, 55, served as both deputy director and general counsel to the SCI, an independent fact-finding agency that investigates waste, fraud and abuse of government tax dollars. He took the helm as the first Black executive director of the commission in 2020. He joined SCI in 2005, where he directed several of the agency's most high-profile investigations into organized crime, including a groundbreaking inquiry that identified prescription pill abuse as the precursor to a new heroin epidemic.

Before joining the commission, Lackey was an assistant state attorney in Miami-Dade County, Florida, where he founded the Community Prosecutions Unit. He was a graduate of Northwood University and held a law degree from Temple University School of Law.

In a statement, Murphy said he and his wife Tammy are "deeply saddened" by the news of Lackey's passing.

"Chadd broke barriers as SCI's first Black executive director, working his way through the ranks over nearly 20 years of service to our state," Murphy said. "During his time at the SCI, he took on organized crime, opioid abuse, corruption, and countless other issues. There is no doubt New Jersey is a safer and more just place because of him."

In a statement released on the SCI website, the commission confirmed that Lackey died in a fatal, multiple vehicle accident in Hamilton Wednesday at 8 a.m.

"We are devastated by the tragic news of Chadd's death," said SCI Chair Tiffany Williams Brewer. "On behalf of my fellow commissioners and the entire SCI staff, we extend our prayers and deepest sympathies to the Lackey family and his loved ones. Our SCI family, the N.J. Bar and the law enforcement community have suffered a great loss today as we embark upon a time of healing and reflection on Chadd's legacy."

The SCI was created in 1968 to solve New Jersey's problem with organized crime and political corruption. The commission was designed to conduct fact-finding investigations, bring the facts to the public's attention, refer findings to appropriate law enforcement agencies for possible prosecution and make recommendations to the governor and the Legislature for improvements in laws and the operations of government.

At the time of his appointment as executive director, then-SCI Chair Joseph F. Scancarella called Lackey the "obvious choice."

SCI Commissioner Robert Burzichelli praised Lackey's leadership and the impact he made on the watchdog agency in a news release.

"Chadd worked his way up through the ranks to lead the commission," Burzichelli said. "Under his watch, the SCI did tremendous work exposing wrongdoing and protecting New Jersey tax dollars. This is a huge loss for the citizens of the state of New Jersey and for all of us on the commission."