BERKELEY – Tyler Webb’s 1971 Chevrolet pickup was more than something he drove. It represented a dream he had finally fulfilled, his love of anything with a motor and the life his family is determined to keep celebrating.
The truck joined hundreds of vehicles at Veterans Park for the inaugural Rescue, Wrench and Ride Car, Truck and Motorcycle Memorial Show. At least 5,000 people attended the event honoring Tyler Webb, a 29-year-old mechanic and volunteer firefighter.
Jersey Shore Car Shows President Alfred Dompieri said 237 vehicles were registered with 250 to 260 vehicles on display once movie cars, fire apparatus, boats and other displays were included. About 50 vendors and food trucks participated, while thousands of people moved through the grounds during the day.
For Tyler’s mother, Lisa Webb, the show brought together many parts of her son’s life and gave those who loved him a place to remember her late son.
Tyler grew up in the Forked River section of Lacey Township and became a mechanic for Berkeley Township. He also operated a side business called Webb’s Automotive and served as a firefighter with the Pinewald Pioneer Fire Company.
He was killed on August 1, 2025, alongside his girlfriend, 33-year-old veterinarian Lauren Semanchik, at her Franklin Township home in Hunterdon County. Authorities described their deaths as a domestic violence-driven double murder-suicide committed by Semanchik’s former boyfriend, a New Jersey State Police sergeant who then took his own life.
At the memorial show, however, the focus remained on how Tyler lived. His mother remembered him as funny, generous and always ready to help, whether the person was a close friend or someone he had just met.
“He had a contagious laugh, and he was the most generous and helpful person that you’ll ever meet,” Lisa Webb said. “Even if he didn’t know you, he was willing to help you.”
A Friend’s Final Visit
Jim Farrell, whose Ghostbusters vehicle was among the attractions at the memorial show, said Tyler had been one of his son’s closest friends since their school days. Tyler had just returned from spending time with Farrell’s son in Texas before heading to see Semanchik.
“He was at my son’s house in Texas the week he got killed,” Farrell said. “He flew home, and when he flew home, he went to go see that girl.”
The loss stunned those who had known Tyler throughout Ocean County and left his family trying to understand a life that changed without warning. “Sometimes I can check out of it, and sometimes when I’m in it, I’m thinking this is the worst thing ever,” Lisa Webb said. “It’s hard to believe it’s our lives, to be honest.”
A Show Inspired By Tyler
The idea for the memorial show began at another car show at Murray Grove shortly after Tyler’s death. It was the first show the Webb family attended since the killings, where they brought his pickup.
Dompieri knew Lisa through the Forked River School but had never met Tyler. When he learned why the family was there, organizers created a memorial award and invited the Webbs to choose a vehicle and present it.
George Rutzler, President of the Ocean County Fireman’s Association, later approached Dompieri about organizing an entire show in Tyler’s memory. The Pinewald Pioneer Fire Company and the Webb family joined the effort, and the event grew during nearly a year of planning.
“It kind of took on a life of its own up until show day,” Dompieri said.
Tyler’s interests shaped nearly every part of the event. Cars, motorcycles, lifted trucks, mud trucks, boats, racing garveys, fire apparatus and famous vehicles from movies were all represented. “Anything that had a motor, he loved,” Dompieri said. “If it had a motor, it was at the show.”
Nearly 100 awards were presented. Rather than relying only on traditional trophies, organizers created tin signs and license plate-style awards inspired by the signs Tyler kept in his garage. “If you took all the awards and looked at the table where they were placed, it told the story of who Tyler was, all the different sides of him,” Dompieri said.
A Community Stands With The Family
One of the most moving moments came during the national anthem, performed by Bethany Taylor with Tyler’s sister, Angela Webb, and Angela’s daughter. A bagpiper followed as Dompieri stood on the stage and looked across the crowd.
“Just seeing everybody out there who had come, it was a very moving moment because this is what we had all built to,” he said. “We wanted it to be a celebration of life, and seeing everybody that was out there, we realized that we achieved what we wanted to.”
Lisa estimated that most of those attending had known Tyler in some way. His immediate family was joined by siblings, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbors, coworkers and friends representing different periods of his life. For a family living through unimaginable grief, she called the show “the saving grace.”
Berkeley Township also created a permanent tribute to the mechanic who cared for its municipal vehicles. The township dedicated its garage as Webb’s Automotive, using the name of Tyler’s side business. Lisa initially expected officials to place a small plaque on the building and was overwhelmed when the township garage sign was replaced with one bearing her son’s business name.
“I was floored that they dedicated that entire garage,” she said. “He would never think, I can guarantee, that he was that loved and he was that important in his job.”
The show received support from the Pinewald Pioneer Fire Company, Ocean County fire commissioners, Cedar Creek Golf Course, Berkeley Township Police Department and Public Works, Berkeley Township PBA, Bayville Fire Company, Jersey Shore Boat Racing, Surf Corvette Club, Box of Rocks RC and numerous public officials, sponsors, vendors and food trucks.
All proceeds went to the Rescue, Wrench and Ride Tyler Webb Memorial Foundation, which provides scholarships and assistance to people in need. Plans are already underway to make the show an annual event.
Tyler’s truck will continue traveling to car shows as his family searches for ways to create something good from its loss. “We knew from that point we wanted to start taking his truck to car shows,” Lisa said, “and basically live life like Tyler.”
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