Ben Simmons' cousin victim of fatal hit-and-run; had attended draft Thursday

ByABC News
June 26, 2016, 12:00 AM

— -- A cousin of Ben Simmons who was with the No. 1 pick at Thursday night's NBA draft was killed in a hit-and-run early Saturday morning in New Jersey.

Police in Hoboken said Zachary Simmons, 21, was hit by a black SUV at around 3:30 a.m. ET, according to CBS New York

The victim's mother, Monique Steele, identified Zachary Simmons as the cousin of Ben, the former LSU star who was taken No. 1 overall Thursday night by the Philadelphia 76ers

Ben Simmons acknowledged his cousin's death in a series of tweets Saturday. 

Steele told CBS New York that her son had been out for a friend's birthday on Friday, just one night after he had attended the draft in New York.

"He had just went to the NBA draft for his first cousin -- No. 1 draft pick," Steele told CBS New York.