Motorcyclist survives, hospitalized after Manchester crash

A patch of loose gravel in Manchester sends a motorcycle careening, which sends the driver airborne, and then sends him to hospitalization.

Thomas G. Pelletier, 69, of Nanuet, New York, was hospitalized at Community Medical Center in Toms River Sunday, for injuries that police described as moderate, but non-life-threatening.

They noted that he did not wear a helmet meeting safety standards set by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT).

Officers called to Whiting Memorial Park at about 12:17 PM said that they found Pelletier lying on Route 530 near the entrance, his 1999 Harley Davidson FLS nearby.

According to police, Pelletier was westbound on Route 530 and engaged in a turn to enter the park when his bike hit the gravel. The motorcycle hit the curb and continued into a concrete sign, at which point he was ejected from his seat.

A Quality Medical Transport team assisted on site. The crash investigation is headed by Patrolman Ian Bole.

Manchester authorities, pointing out a spate of significant motorcycle crashes, some fatal, urge riders and drivers to be sure that helmets meet DOT specifications.