Man Killed In Jackson Crash Lacked Motorcycle License: Prosecutor

JACKSON, NJ — A Jackson Township man who died in a motorcycle crash in early July after he sped away from a police officer had a lengthy history of motor vehicle violations and did not have a license to drive a motorcycle, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato said Friday.

Coronato's office released that information along with video of the brief police pursuit that preceded the crash that happened July 5 in Jackson.

Anthony Griffin, 22, of Jackson, died in the crash that also critically injured Eric Larson, 24, of Jackson, Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, said.

The one-minute video shows the Jackson Township police officer driving south on South New Prospect Road on Thursday, July 5, at about 10:20 p.m. As the officer nears the Brewers Bridge Road intersection, Griffin pulls out onto South New Prospect without stopping. The signal was red for Brewers Bridge Road traffic at the time.

The officer speeds up and turns on his lights to signal to the motorcyclist to pull over, but the Griffin, who was on a red 2004 Yamaha 999, speeds up and takes off. A short distance later headlights of a vehicle appear and the sound of the crash can be heard.

The collision, at Oak Drive, happened when Larson, driving a gray 2008 Hyundai Elantra, made the left turn from Oak Drive onto South New Prospect Road to head north on the road, Della Fave said. Griffin hit the driver's side door of the Elantra, and the car is visible and stopped in the road at the end of the video.

"Prosecutor Coronato felt it important that the release of the video should be accompanied with the preliminary investigative facts of the investigation to assure proper context," Della Fave said in a written statement that accompanied the video release.

Larson, who was wearing a seat belt, "continues to struggle with recovery from significant injuries incurred in the crash," Della Fave said.

Griffin, who had a valid driver's license, did not have a motorcycle endorsement or a separate motorcycle license, Della Fave said. Griffin also had an extensive record of motor vehicle violations, he said, and the motorcycle was not registered or insured, and had fictitious license plates.

The investigation by the Fatal Accident Investigation Unit of the prosecutor's office, the Jackson Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s CSI Unit, and review of the patrol unit's video recorder by the High Tech Crime Unit of the prosecutor's office also found the officer was driving 82 mph at the time of the crash. With the officer at that speed, Griffin was pulling away and was out of sight at the time of the crash.

The video is below;

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Photo via YouTube video released by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office