Find Your Daily Voice
75°
Tow Truck Driver, 24, Killed Helping Motorist On I-287; Company Outraged: ‘Slow The F— Down’
A young tow truck operator was killed while helping a stranded driver on Interstate 287 in Morris County, New Jersey State Police said.
Daniel "DJ" Ortiz, 24, of Hopatcong, was working on the right shoulder of I-287 southbound at milepost 31.4 in Harding Township when he was struck around 11:42 a.m. Wednesday, July 2, Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron said.
According to a preliminary investigation, Ortiz had been recovering a disabled Honda with a Ram tow truck when a Jeep SUV entered the shoulder and struck the Ram, the Honda, and Ortiz, Lebron said.
Ortiz sustained serious injuries and was taken to a …
Motorcycle Passenger Killed In I-287 Crash Was HS Valedictorian Who Battled Rare Illness
A woman killed in a motorcycle crash last month on Interstate 287 is being remembered as a fearless leader, athlete, and scholar who never let her rare illness define her.
Tonya Reetz, 35, of Neshkoro, WI, died after being ejected from a Harley-Davidson motorcycle on northbound lanes in Bernards Township when the bike was involved in a crash on Saturday, June 21, Sgt. Charles Marchan said.
Reetz’s family says she lived a full and driven life — even while managing Bernard-Soulier Syndrome, a rare blood disorder. According to her obituary on the Leikness Funeral Home website, she “…
Sonia Castro, NJ Mom Who Endured Tragedy With Grace, Dies
Sonia Castro, a North Jersey mother and grandmother who spent her life putting family first while battling a rare genetic condition, died on Thursday, June 26, her family said.
Her death comes just six months after she lost her own mother to cancer, and nearly 12 years after the heartbreaking loss of her daughter, Kiara, in 2013, according to a GoFundMe campaign organized by her family.
“Sonia’s life was a powerful testament to strength and unwavering love,” writes Aida Castro, who launched the campaign to support Sonia’s surviving children and grandchildren.
She was the proud mother…
Jackpot Strikes Again At Neptune ShopRite Complex With $446K Lottery Win
Lightning might not strike twice, but NJ Lotto luck sure does—especially in Neptune.
A Jersey Cash 5 ticket worth $446,593 was sold at the grocery store in the ShopRite complex at 2202 Route 66, New Jersey Lottery officials said Wednesday, July 2.
The winning draw came on Tuesday, July 1.
Despite the storms this week, the player braved the elements, bought a few days’ worth of draws, and matched all five numbers to take home the game’s 34th jackpot of the year, officials said.
“I’m very grateful for what I have gotten,” the player said. “I can’t breathe, I have to exhale! I can’t even foc…
Man Followed Teen With Dollar In His Mouth Then Pulled Knife At Wayne Outback Steakhouse: Cops
A Wayne man was arrested after he threatened to kill an Outback Steakhouse manager with a knife, moments after harassing a teenage worker inside the restaurant, local police said.
Khalil W. Bakho, 60, was taken into custody Friday, June 27, around 8:35 p.m. in the parking lot of T-Bowl, Wayne Police said in a release issued Tuesday, July 1.
According to police, the trouble began inside the Outback Steakhouse when Bakho allegedly followed a juvenile female employee around with “a dollar bill in his mouth.” Several workers intervened, and a manager escorted Bakho out.
That’s when things esca…
Exclusive: Porsche With Stolen Plates Rams Clifton Police Cars, Two Arrested, Cops Say
A Brooklyn man driving a stolen Porsche slammed into three police cars during a wild but short chase in Clifton, police said.
The chaos broke out around 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, when Officer Benjamin Bressel spotted a 2016 Porsche Macan near Main Avenue and West 5th Street, Clifton Police Lt. Robert Anderson said.
The Porsche had a stolen Pennsylvania license plate, and Bressel called for backup. As he and Sgt. Matthew West tried to stop the car in a nearby parking lot, the driver hit Bressel’s patrol car and fled, police said.
The driver, identified as Mohammad Khan, 30, of Brooklyn,…
Burger Bandit Caught Grilling At NJ Shake Shack, In Uniform After Break-Ins, Police Say
A repeat offender from Newark with an impressive rap sheet broke into a Paramus Shake Shack after hours, grilled food, stole merchandise, and then came back for more days later—this time wearing a Shake Shack shirt and chef’s hat, police in the borough said.
Jermaine Campbell, 26, was arrested on Monday, June 30, after a staff member spotted him trying to break into the fast-casual burger joint on Route 17 South around 10:30 p.m., Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti said.
The drama began two days earlier, on Saturday, June 28, when the Shake Shack general manager called police to report a …
