State Police Charge 16-Year-Old After Parkway Motorcycle Chase

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A 16-year-old Lakewood boy is facing charges after leading authorities on a motorcycle chase on the Garden State Parkway on Wednesday evening, New Jersey State Police said.

The chase began in the early evening, when a motorist called State Police to report an erratic operator on a motorcycle, Trooper Alejandro Goez said.

A state trooper in the area saw the motorcycle and began following it, and tried to pull the rider over, Goez said. But instead of stopping, the rider continued onto the shoulder of the parkway and kept going, and the trooper broke off the chase for safety reasons, he said.

A New Jersey State Police helicopter that was in the area was able to spot the motorcycle and followed it as the rider left the Parkway in Berkeley Township, where he went through the woods and then continued north into Beachwood, Goez said.

At that point, Beachwood police joined the chase and tried to stop it, but the driver sped off again. With the helicopter and Beachwood police continuing to follow, the teen went back on the parkway, he said, and in Toms River, the trooper joined the chase again, Goez said.

Once more, the trooper tried to pull the motorcycle over but the rider sped off, and the trooper once more broke off the chase, he said. But the helicopter remained overhead, tracking the motorcycle through Toms River and into Lakewood, he said.

Lakewood police as well as Toms River and Brick police were notified to keep an eye out for the motorcyclist, but the teen drove the motorcycle into some woods off Ridge Avenue, where he dumped the motorcycle and disappeared, Goez said. A few hours later, however, the teen turned himself in to Lakewood police, he said.

The boy has been charged with eluding, Goez said, and faces motor vehicle charges as well.

The motorcycle, which was unregistered, has been impounded, he said.