Cape May County

Teen dirt bike rider dies after crashing into trash truck in Cape May County

A 17-year-old dirt bike rider died Tuesday after crashing into a trash truck in Cape May County, New Jersey.

According to officials, on Jan. 15, around 11:34 a.m. Lower Township Police Department responded to a 911 call regarding a collision involving a Lower Township Municipal trash truck and a dirt bike on Bayshore Road near Atlantic Avenue in the Villas section of Lower Township. 

Officials said the preliminary investigation revealed that a Lower Township Municipal trash truck was traveling northbound on Bayshore Road. The truck began executing a right-hand turn onto E. Atlantic Ave. when it collided with a dirt bike operated by a 17-year-old boy. The teen sustained fatal injuries.

The teen had been traveling southbound on the northbound shoulder of the roadway, according to officials. The truck driver stated that while attempting the turn, they saw the dirt bike approaching at a high rate of speed and attempted to stop.

Despite these efforts, officials said the dirt bike collided head-on with the truck, coming to rest in front of the vehicle. 

Witnesses at the scene agreed with the truck driver's account, sharing that the truck was driving five miles per hour and came to a complete stop at the time of the impact, officials shared.

Officials said surveillance footage from a nearby camera also corroborated the driver’s and witnesses’ observations.

Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland urges anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office at 609-465-1135 or anonymously through the OPS Tip System at CMCPO.Tips, or through the Cape May County Crime Stoppers at 609-889-3597.

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