N.J. trooper cleared in police chase of SUV ending in fatal motorcycle crash

New Jersey State Police Trooper Christopher Bird Pursuit

New Jersey State Police Trooper Christopher Bird will not be criminally charged following a police pursuit in Warren County in 2024 that left a motorcyclist dead.Photo Courtesy of New Jersey Attorney General's Office

A state trooper involved in a police chase crash in Warren County that left a motorcyclist dead last year will not be criminally charged, a state grand jury ruled Tuesday.

New Jersey State Police Trooper Christopher Bird began following a gray SUV on Rt. 80 in Hope Township at 10:19 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2024, and activated his lights and sirens in an attempt to stop the vehicle, according to a statement from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.

The driver of the SUV, Sean B. Mamakas, 33, of Kempton, Pa., fled east on the right shoulder of the interstate at high speed and Bird began pursuing him, the office said. Mamakas took Exit 12, exiting onto County Road 521 south in Hope Township.

Around 10:20 a.m., Mamakas passed a car on the left in an oncoming lane of traffic in the area of Dogwood Road before he merged back into the southbound lane and hit a motorcycle driven by Michael J. Ceddia, Jr., 76, of Hackettstown, investigators said.

Ceddia was ejected from his motorcycle and Mamakas’ SUV went off the road and came to a stop in a wooded area, authorities said. Ceddia was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mamakas was taken to Hackettstown Medical Center for medical evaluation and later released into police custody, the office said.

The Warren County Prosecutor’s Office handled the Mamakas investigation and in March, a Warren County grand jury indicted him on charges of aggravated manslaughter, death by auto, eluding, aggravated assault, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, officials said. The case against him is ongoing.

The attorney general’s office also released footage of the pursuit including body-worn camera and a mobile video recorder related to the fatal crash.

State law requires the attorney general’s office to investigate the death of a person who is killed during an encounter with police. The actions of the officer are then reviewed and include interviews of witnesses, collection of forensic evidence, review of video footage, and autopsy results from the medical examiner.

The findings of the investigation are then presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.

The jury decided that Bird should not be criminally charged, the office said.

Stories by Chris Sheldon

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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.

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