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Laurel crash claims life of professional wrestler

January 18, 2023

A head-on collision of two pickup trucks Jan. 17 claimed the life of both drivers, one a professional wrestler from Laurel.

The crash happened at 5:09 p.m., when a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 driven by Lillyanne Ternahan, 27, of Frankford, was traveling westbound on Laurel Road west of Goose Nest Road and crossed into the eastbound lane, said Sr. Cpl. Leonard DeMalto of the Delaware State Police.

At the same time, DeMalto said, a 2016 Silverado 2500 was traveling eastbound, and the trucks collided in the eastbound lane. Both drivers, Ternahan and Jamin Pugh, 38, of Laurel, were pronounced dead at the scene. Police said Ternahan was wearing her seatbelt, but Pugh was not. Pugh’s daughters, 12 and 9, were properly restrained in the truck. They were taken to an area hospital and admitted in critical condition, DeMalto said.

Pugh was a professional wrestler, known as Jay Briscoe, who wrestled for the Ring of Honor promotion with his younger brother, Mark. The two got their start in Newark-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling as the Briscoe Brothers, where they were two-time tag team champions. The majority of their career was spent in ROH, where the brothers were 13-time ROH World Tag Team Champions. Their most recent title win came in Pugh’s final match at ROH’s Final Battle pay-per-view Dec. 10. In addition, Pugh was a two-time ROH World Heavyweight Champion as a singles performer and, in 2022, the brothers were part of the first class of the ROH Hall of Fame.

The Laurel School District closed school Jan. 18 “due to an unthinkable tragedy in our community.”

No other vehicles were involved in this collision. The roadway was closed for about four hours while the scene was investigated and cleared.

The Delaware State Police Troop 7 Collision Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate this incident. Troopers are asking anyone who witnessed this collision to contact Sergeant J. Burns by calling 302-703-3269. Information may also be provided by sending a Private Facebook Message to the Delaware State Police or contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.

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