North Hunterdon, NJ
Police & Fire
DWI Branchburg Man Caught Running Away From Hunterdon County Crash Scene, Police Say DWI Branchburg Man Caught Running Away From Hunterdon County Crash Scene, Police Say
DWI Branchburg Man Caught Running Away From Hunterdon County Crash Scene, Police Say A Branchburg man was intoxicated when he ran from the scene of a crash on Route 22 in Hunterdon County over the weekend, authorities said. Eric Specht was seen running away from the scene of an accident on Route 22 near Mountain Road just after 1:15 a.m. Saturday, according to Readington Township Police, who were alerted by a witness. Specht was showing signs of intoxication during questioning and failed a series of field sobriety tests, police said. Specht was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and failure to report an …

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by Valerie Musson
North Hunterdon, NJ
Police & Fire
State Police: Woman, 25, Hospitalized After Motorcycle Collides With SUV In Hunterdon County State Police: Woman, 25, Hospitalized After Motorcycle Collides With SUV In Hunterdon County
State Police: Woman, 25, Hospitalized After Motorcycle Collides With SUV In Hunterdon County A motorcycle rider was hospitalized after colliding with an SUV in Hunterdon County Sunday night, state police confirmed. The 25-year-old woman was riding a Kawasaki motorcycle on Route 22 when the vehicle collided with a Chevrolet Tahoe near the Hunterdon Hills Plaza in Lebanon shortly before 10 p.m., NJSP Sgt. Alejandro Goez told Daily Voice. The woman was taken to Morristown Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Goez said. The Tahoe driver was uninjured in the crash, which remains under investigation.

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by Valerie Musson
North Hunterdon, NJ
Police & Fire
NJSP Helicopter Search Underway After Bank Robbery In Hunterdon County, Police Say NJSP Helicopter Search Underway After Bank Robbery In Hunterdon County, Police Say
Njsp Helicopter Search Underway After Bank Robbery In Hunterdon County, Police Say State Police initiated a helicopter search after a bank in Hunterdon County was robbed Wednesday afternoon. The robbery occurred at TD Bank on Route 22 west in Whitehouse around 3:50 p.m., Readington Township Police said. State Police were conducting an overhead helicopter search of the area following the robbery, NJSP Sgt. Philip Curry told Daily Voice. The bank remained temporarily closed following the robbery, police said. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Readington Township Detective Bureau.  

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by Valerie Musson
Franklin Township, NJ
Police & Fire
Manville Man In His 30s Dies In Route 22 Crash Manville Man In His 30s Dies In Route 22 Crash
Manville Man In His 30s Dies In Route 22 Crash A man in his 30s died in a crash on Route 22 in Somerset County Wednesday, authorities said. Bound Brook police responded to the eastbound side of the roadway following multiple 911 calls reporting a crash between Vosseller and Mountain avenues around 11:20 a.m., Deputy Chief Kevin Rivenbark said. The Manville man, whose identity was not being released, was pronounced dead at the scene.  Several witnesses pulled over and cooperated with the investigation.  The accident was under investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Reconstruction Team…

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by Cecilia Levine
Franklin Township, NJ
Police & Fire
Essex County Pair Nabbed In Route 22 Gas Station Burglaries Essex County Pair Nabbed In Route 22 Gas Station Burglaries
Essex County Pair Nabbed In Route 22 Gas Station Burglaries Two Essex County men were arrested in connection with a pair of Route 22 gas station robberies, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday. Abufurgan Ahmad, 54, of Newark, burglarized gas stations on Route 22 on April 15 and May 9, and was joined by Coleman Holden, 51, of East Orange, in the second incident, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. During the first incident around 6:20 a.m., Ahmad forcibly opened the back door and stole an undisclosed amount in cash, a case of black and mild cigars and jumper cables from the gas station, Robertso…

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by Cecilia Levine
North Hunterdon, NJ
Business
Popular Phillipsburg Diner Permanently Shutters Popular Phillipsburg Diner Permanently Shutters
Popular Phillipsburg Diner Permanently Shutters A popular Phillipsburg diner is permanently shuttering this weekend. The Red Rose Diner on Route 22 is closing its doors Sunday, May 2 at 3 p.m., according to a post on its Facebook page. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of the Red Rose Diner,” reads the post. “To our staff, you have shown grace, warmth, and dedication, and our gratitude for you all is immeasurable. To our customers, thank you for all the wonderful memories, the laughter, and the loyalty that you have shown us over the past four years.” The diner extends well-wishes to its longtime customers and loya…

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by Valerie Musson
North Hunterdon, NJ
Police & Fire
Off-Duty Phillipsburg Police Officer Dominic Belcastro Killed In Motorcycle Crash Off-Duty Phillipsburg Police Officer Dominic Belcastro Killed In Motorcycle Crash
Off-Duty Phillipsburg Police Officer Dominic Belcastro Killed In Motorcycle Crash A Phillipsburg police officer died in a motorcycle crash Saturday. Dominic “Dom” Belcastro was riding a Harley-Davidson and had the right of way while heading eastbound on Route 22, according to Warren County Prosecutor Jim Pfeiffer, who witnessed the crash, NJ.com reports. A woman in a 2000 Toyota Camry was stopped at Fifth Street, when a vehicle in the right lane of the highway drove past the intersection, and the Toyota tried crossing into the turnaround near the post office immediately after that, the outlet said citing the prosecutor. Belcastro put the the bike down on the road -- ap…

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by Cecilia Levine
Newark, NJ
News
NJ Driver, 20, Accused Of Killing 4 Friends In Crash Tells Her Side On TikTok, GoFundMe NJ Driver, 20, Accused Of Killing 4 Friends In Crash Tells Her Side On TikTok, GoFundMe
NJ Driver, 20, Accused Of Killing 4 Friends In Crash Tells Her Side On TikTok, GoFundMe Money began pouring in to help pay legal fees for a 20-year-old Essex County woman after she posted a TikTok video on Saturday defending herself against charges in a violent crash that killed four of her close friends last spring. A badly-burned Nashauna Johnson of Newark also mounted a GoFundMe campaign to deal with legal costs. A grand jury in Newark on Thursday returned an indictment charging Johnson with four counts of death by auto – also known as vehicular homicide -- in the June 9 crash on Route 22 at the Newark-Hillside border. In her TikTok video, Johnson contends that drugs, alc…

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by Jerry DeMarco
North Hunterdon, NJ
Police & Fire
DWI Driver Was On Depressants During Route 22 Crash Near Phillipsburg Mall, Police Say DWI Driver Was On Depressants During Route 22 Crash Near Phillipsburg Mall, Police Say
DWI Driver Was On Depressants During Route 22 Crash Near Phillipsburg Mall, Police Say A Hudson County man was under the influence of depressants when he rear-ended another vehicle in Warren County, authorities said. Raphael M. Caetano, 24, crashed into the back of another car on Route 22 near the Phillipsburg Mall around 8:40 p.m. on Feb. 22, Lopatcong Township Police said. Caetano, of Harrison, subsequently failed a series of field sobriety tests and was taken into custody, where he was evaluated by a Drug Recognition Expert and determined to be under the influence of depressants, police said. Caetano was charged with driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. He wa…

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by Valerie Musson
Franklin Township, NJ
Police & Fire
NJ Dad Charged With Attempted Murder Of 2-Year-Old Daughter At Motel NJ Dad Charged With Attempted Murder Of 2-Year-Old Daughter At Motel
NJ Dad Charged With Attempted Murder Of 2-Year-Old Daughter At Motel A New Jersey dad has been charged with first degree attempted murder after surveillance tapes caught him putting his 2-year-old daughter in a plastic bag and carrying her through a New Jersey motel, authorities said. North Plainfield police responded to a Route 22 motel on reports of a baby inside of a bag around 12:40 p.m. on Jan. 23, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. There, they found a man later identified as Lamar S. Waller -- the girl's dad -- holding his child, Robertson said alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives John W.…

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by Cecilia Levine
Franklin Township, NJ
Business
COVID-19: Iconic Somerset County Bridal Shop Shutters COVID-19: Iconic Somerset County Bridal Shop Shutters
Covid-19: Iconic Somerset County Bridal Shop Shutters A family-run Somerset County bridal shop will close after several decades in business. Jefre Bridal in the Green Brook Shopping Center on Route 22 is expected to shut its doors at the end of the month. The COVID-19 pandemic forced Jefre Bridal to go by appointment only, and everything in the store is currently at 50 percent off. The shop opened as Carol's Bridals in Plainfield, in 1958, and was renamed when current owner Jeffrey Rabinowitz relocated the store to its present location in 1971. Jefre Bridal is dressing its third generation of brides from returning families, its website says.

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by Cecilia Levine
Garfield-Lodi, NJ
Police & Fire
Man, 22, Critical After Self-Inflicted Union County Gun Range Shooting Man, 22, Critical After Self-Inflicted Union County Gun Range Shooting
Man, 22, Critical After Self-Inflicted Union County Gun Range Shooting A 22-year-old man who turned the gun on himself over the weekend at a Union County shooting range was in critical condition Monday, authorities said. The man had gone to RTSP on Route 22 with three friends when he fired three shots down the range, then shot himself around 7:20 p.m. Saturday, Union Township Police Director Dan Zieser said. The unidentified victim was taken to University Medical Center in Newark, where he remained in critical condition, Zieser said.

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by Cecilia Levine