A firefighter entered the water to help rescue a man found hanging onto a piling about 40 yards from a boat ramp dock in Keyport.
KEYPORT, NJ – A man struggling to stay above water in Raritan Bay was rescued Thursday evening after Keyport firefighters and police responded to an emergency near a boat ramp. The man was found clinging to a piling approximately 40 yards from the end of the launch dock, according to the Keyport Fire Department.
Emergency crews were dispatched shortly after 5 p.m. following a report of a male subject in the bay holding himself above water. Squad Company 22 arrived and spotted the man, prompting a water rescue involving firefighters, police and a nearby boater who offered assistance.
Good Samaritan helps firefighters reach stranded man
According to the department’s Thursday evening news release, a Good Samaritan brought her vessel to the dock, allowing members of the Keyport Fire Department and Keyport Police Department to board. The crew then traveled out to reach the stranded man.
By the time rescuers reached him, the man was exhausted and experiencing a medical episode, according to the department. Firefighter and rescue swimmer Susser entered the water and helped the man get onto the vessel.
The rescue crew returned the man to the boat ramp, where emergency medical personnel took over his care and arranged transportation. The department did not disclose the man’s identity, the nature of his medical condition or the hospital where he was taken.
Keyport Fire Department credits coordinated rescue effort
The Keyport Fire Department credited the quick response of emergency personnel and the civilian boater who provided the vessel needed to reach the man. The department also acknowledged the agencies that helped coordinate the rescue.
“We would like to thank the Keyport Police, First aid squad and Monmouth County Communications for their assistance,” the department said in its official release.
ALLAMUCHY TOWNSHIP, NJ – New Jersey State Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who struck a woman near a stopped school bus Thursday morning in Warren County. Investigators believe the vehicle, described as a white sedan with Pennsylvania license plates, fled after hitting the pedestrian at the intersection of Old Hackettstown Road and Puffer Road.
Troopers responded to the crash at approximately 7:56 a.m. Thursday in Allamuchy Township. The adult female pedestrian suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital for treatment, according to a State Police public assistance alert.
Driver allegedly passed school bus with flashing red lights
According to the preliminary investigation, the unidentified white passenger vehicle was traveling northbound on Old Hackettstown Road toward Puffer Road. A school bus was stopped at the intersection with its red warning lights flashing and its stop arm extended.
Police said the approaching vehicle failed to stop for the school bus and struck the woman as she crossed the roadway. The driver did not remain at the crash scene.
“The vehicle failed to stop for the school bus and struck an adult female pedestrian who was crossing the roadway,” State Police said in their public alert.
Police release escape route of suspected hit-and-run driver
Investigators believe the vehicle turned left onto Johnsonburg Road after the collision before making another left onto County Road 613. State Police described the suspected vehicle as a white sedan displaying a Pennsylvania license plate.
“Following the collision, the vehicle fled the scene,” authorities said.
The State Police have not released the pedestrian’s identity or a more detailed description of the driver. Investigators also have not announced whether they have obtained surveillance footage or identified a possible suspect.
State Police ask witnesses to come forward
The investigation remains active, and troopers are asking anyone who traveled through the area Thursday morning to report information that could help identify the vehicle or driver.
“Anyone with information about the vehicle or driver, or who may have witnessed the incident, is urged to contact Troop ‘B’ Hope Station at 908-459-5098,” State Police said.
The collision occurred while a school bus was displaying the flashing red lights and extended stop arm used to require motorists to stop. Under New Jersey law, drivers approaching a stopped school bus with flashing red lights generally must stop at least 25 feet away, subject to specific roadway exceptions.
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – A 28-year-old East Brunswick woman died after being struck by a vehicle early Thursday morning at the intersection of State Highway 18 and Racetrack Road, according to the East Brunswick Police Department. The driver remained at the scene as police began investigating the fatal crash.
Officers responded to the intersection at approximately 5:09 a.m. Thursday, October 29, after a 911 caller reported that a vehicle had struck a pedestrian. The victim was identified by police as Michelle F. Chitacapa, 28, of East Brunswick.
Chitacapa was transported to a local hospital for treatment but later died from her injuries, police said. The driver involved in the collision was not injured and remained at the crash scene.
The East Brunswick Police Department has not released additional details about the circumstances leading up to the collision. Police did not specify what direction the vehicle was traveling or whether Chitacapa was crossing the roadway when she was struck.
East Brunswick Police Investigating Fatal Route 18 Crash
Patrolman Michael Manning of the department’s Traffic Safety Section is conducting the follow-up investigation into the fatal pedestrian crash. Authorities have not announced any charges in connection with the incident.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 18 and Racetrack Road, a major roadway junction in East Brunswick, Middlesex County. Investigators are seeking information from anyone who may have witnessed the collision Thursday morning.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the East Brunswick Police Department’s Traffic Safety Section at 732-390-6969. Anonymous information can also be submitted through the department’s Confidential Tip Line at (732) 4EB-TIPS.
The investigation remains ongoing as police work to determine what led to the collision that killed Chitacapa. Authorities are asking witnesses and anyone with relevant information to contact investigators.
Firefighters and emergency medical crews respond to a morning crash near the amusement park, with a utility pole and wires reportedly down.
JACKSON, NJ – Emergency crews responded to an overturned vehicle on Route 537 outside Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township Friday morning. A telephone pole and electrical wires were reportedly down at the crash scene, prompting a response from local firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
The incident was reported at approximately 8:24 a.m. Friday, October 30, along Route 537 near Six Flags Great Adventure. Early reports indicated a single vehicle crash.
Firefighters from Station 56 and Station 57 were reported responding to the scene. Emergency medical services units were also en route following the initial crash report.
The extent of any injuries was not immediately known.
Downed Wires Reported Near Six Flags Great Adventure
The crash reportedly brought down a utility pole and wires along the roadway outside the amusement park. It was not immediately clear whether the damaged utility equipment was affecting traffic or electrical service in the surrounding area.
The incident remains an active emergency response, with firefighters and EMS personnel dispatched to the location. Additional details about injuries, road closures and the cause of the crash were not immediately available.
PENNSAUKEN, NJ – A fire broke out at a 7-Eleven in Pennsauken’s Hillcrest neighborhood on October 19, prompting an all-hands response and additional firefighting assistance from surrounding communities. The blaze occurred in the 6000 block of Westfield Avenue, where a 7-Eleven convenience store was reportedly involved.
According to the Pennsauken Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched to a fire in a single-story commercial building. The department reported that an all-hands alarm was transmitted, along with a special call for additional resources.
No injuries were reported in connection with the fire. The Pennsauken Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the blaze.
Multiple Camden County Fire Departments Respond
Firefighters from several neighboring communities provided support during the Pennsauken fire, bringing additional personnel and resources to the scene.
The Cherry Hill Fire Department, Collingswood Fire Department, Westmont Fire Company No. 1 and Haddon Fire Company No. 1 were among the agencies providing fireground support. Camden County Fire Coordinators also assisted with the response.
The fire occurred along Westfield Avenue in the Hillcrest section of Pennsauken Township, a commercial corridor in Camden County. The fire department did not specify how long crews remained at the scene or what caused the blaze.
The Pennsauken Fire Marshal continues to investigate the incident. No injuries were reported, and authorities have not released an official damage estimate.
WALDWICK, NJ – Firefighters in Waldwick responded to a dumpster fire on Lee Court Thursday, extinguishing the flames before they could cause damage to a nearby home. The October 29 incident involved a large, 40-yard dumpster, according to the Waldwick Volunteer Fire Department.
Responding firefighters discovered a small fire burning inside the dumpster when they arrived at the scene. Crews deployed a single hose line from their squad apparatus and quickly brought the flames under control.
The Waldwick Volunteer Fire Department reported that neither the nearby residence nor the dumpster sustained damage. No additional property damage was reported in the department’s account of the incident.
The department shared details of the response in a social media post Friday. Officials did not identify the cause of the fire or provide an exact time for the emergency call.
Firefighters Contain Lee Court Dumpster Fire
The fire was confined to the dumpster on Lee Court, a residential street in Waldwick, Bergen County. Firefighters were able to extinguish the burning material using one hose line without reporting damage to surrounding property.
The department did not report whether any additional fire companies were called to assist. No injuries were mentioned in the department’s account.
The incident ended without reported damage to the home or dumpster, according to the fire department. The cause of the fire was not disclosed.
TRENTON, NJ – Nearly two years after mysterious lights and suspected drones filled New Jersey’s night skies, the federal government has offered an explanation for the sightings that alarmed residents, frustrated local officials and sparked nationwide attention. But despite thousands of reports and months of public debate, investigators never provided a complete, sighting-by-sighting account of what people witnessed.
Federal officials say the 2024 drone mystery involved legal aircraft, authorized drone flights and mistaken sightings, but questions remain about what residents saw in the night sky.
Nobody has ever said who owned and operated those drones, what they were testing, and why it was isolated to New Jersey.
The unusual activity began drawing widespread attention in November 2024, when residents across New Jersey reported seeing illuminated objects moving overhead after dark. Reports spread through Morris, Somerset, Ocean, Monmouth and other counties, with witnesses describing everything from small drones to aircraft that appeared unusually large, often times in waves of multiple aircraft.
Videos circulated across social media, prompting calls for answers from police departments, municipal officials and members of Congress. Some residents questioned whether the objects were conducting surveillance, while others worried about potential threats to aviation and public safety.
By December 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense were examining thousands of reports. Their findings pointed largely toward ordinary aircraft, legally operated drones and objects in the night sky that had been mistaken for something unusual.
Federal Investigators Found No Evidence of a Coordinated Drone Threat
In a joint federal assessment released in December 2024, officials said they had reviewed more than 5,000 reports and found no evidence of a widespread security threat. Investigators identified a combination of commercial aircraft, private planes, helicopters, authorized drones and celestial objects.
Federal agencies said they had “not identified anything anomalous” in the reports examined. They also reported finding no evidence that the sightings represented a foreign surveillance operation or an immediate national security danger.
The findings did not establish that every reported object was imaginary or that no drones were operating over New Jersey. Instead, investigators concluded that the available evidence did not support claims of a coordinated fleet of mysterious aircraft operating across the state.
That distinction became important as residents continued sharing videos and eyewitness accounts. Federal officials could explain many sightings through ordinary aviation activity, but they did not publicly identify the aircraft or objects involved in every individual report.
FAA-Authorized Flights Added Another Twist to the Mystery
In January 2025, the White House offered additional information about the drone activity, stating that some flights had been authorized by the FAA for research and other purposes. The administration also pointed to recreational drone operators and the misidentification of conventional aircraft.
That explanation raised another question for New Jersey residents: If some operations were authorized, why had local officials and the public struggled to obtain clear answers while the sightings were occurring?
The communication problems became part of the controversy. Local officials had repeatedly requested more detailed information during the height of the sightings, while federal agencies maintained that investigators had not uncovered a broader threat.
Online discussions continued well after the initial reports faded. Aviation enthusiasts and social media users examined whether experimental electric aircraft, including electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles such as the Pivotal BlackFly, could explain some observations.
However, no publicly established federal finding identified the BlackFly or a particular private contractor as the source of the widespread New Jersey sightings. Claims involving experimental aircraft remained separate from the government’s documented conclusions.
Two Years Later, Some Questions Still Have No Public Answer
By October 2026, the central federal explanation remained that the sightings were largely a mixture of routine aviation, authorized drone activity and mistaken identifications. Investigators had not publicly established that a coordinated group of unidentified drones was operating over New Jersey.
What remains missing is a comprehensive public accounting of the individual sightings that fueled the original concern. The government has not released a complete list matching every widely circulated video or eyewitness report to a specific aircraft, drone operator or astronomical object.
For residents who watched unfamiliar lights overhead in late 2024, the official findings provide an explanation for the broader wave of reports, but not necessarily for each personal experience.
The New Jersey drone mystery ultimately produced thousands of reports, a multiagency federal investigation and widespread criticism of government communication. Federal officials found no evidence of an extraordinary or coordinated security threat, but the absence of a complete public record of individual sightings means some questions about specific incidents remain unanswered.
A juvenile died after being struck by a Tesla at Union Avenue and Adamsville Road Tuesday evening. Police say the driver was attempting a left turn when the collision occurred.
BRIDGEWATER, NJ – A juvenile riding an electric scooter was killed Tuesday evening after being struck by a Tesla at a busy intersection in Bridgewater Township, according to police. The crash occurred at approximately 6:31 p.m. October 27 at Union Avenue (Route 28) and Adamsville Road.
Officers from the Bridgewater Township Police Department arrived to find a Tesla Model Y disabled in the intersection and a juvenile male lying in the roadway. Police said the juvenile was unresponsive and not breathing when officers reached the scene.
Officers immediately began administering CPR and other lifesaving measures while Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital paramedics responded. Paramedics continued treatment before transporting the juvenile to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Somerville, where he later died from his injuries.
The driver of the Tesla, identified by police as a 38-year-old Bridgewater woman, sustained minor injuries. She was also transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for treatment.
Police Say Tesla Turned Left Into Scooter’s Path
According to a preliminary investigation released by Bridgewater police on October 27, the Tesla was traveling westbound on Union Avenue and attempting to turn left onto Adamsville Road.
At the same time, the 16-year-old juvenile was traveling eastbound on Union Avenue on an electric scooter. Police said the scooter rider was proceeding straight through the intersection when the Tesla turned left and struck him.
The collision left the juvenile critically injured in the roadway. Despite emergency medical efforts at the scene and subsequent hospital treatment, he did not survive.
Police have not publicly identified the juvenile. The department’s press release did not announce any charges against the driver or specify whether traffic signals played a role in the collision.
Bridgewater Police Seek Information About Fatal Crash
The fatal Route 28 crash remains under investigation by the Bridgewater Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit.
Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact Officer Steve Black at 908-722-4111, extension 4133. Information can also be submitted anonymously through the Bridgewater TIPS line at 877-660-INFO (4636).
The crash claimed the life of a 16-year-old scooter rider at the intersection of Union Avenue and Adamsville Road in Bridgewater Township. Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances of the collision and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
LONGPORT, NJ – Firefighters from multiple Atlantic County communities battled a fire Tuesday evening at a condominium building in Longport after flames broke out on two upper-floor decks. The blaze was reported at Cypress Place Condominiums, located at 2609 Atlantic Avenue, with crews attacking fires on the third and fourth floors.
The Margate City Fire Department was requested to provide mutual aid at approximately 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, for a working structure fire in the Borough of Longport. Margate firefighters arrived aboard Quint 24 and found flames burning on the building’s third- and fourth-floor decks.
Firefighters quickly stretched a 1.75-inch hose line to attack the fire on the third-floor deck. A second hose line was deployed to reach the flames on the fourth floor.
Longport Ladder 34 arrived and established a water supply for Margate’s Quint 24. Longport fire command upgraded the incident to a working fire, bringing additional firefighters from Ocean City and Somers Point to the scene.
Multiple Fire Departments Battle Longport Condominium Fire
Crews from the Longport Fire Department, Ocean City Fire Department and Somers Point Fire Department joined Margate firefighters in the response. The coordinated effort brought the flames under control before the incident required an extended firefighting operation.
According to the Margate City Fire Department’s public incident report, the fire was quickly brought under control by crews operating at the condominium building. Margate firefighters remained on scene for approximately 90 minutes before being released.
The department did not provide information about injuries, evacuations or the extent of damage to the condominium units. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The fire at Cypress Place Condominiums brought a four-department response to Atlantic Avenue in Longport, where firefighters contained flames burning on two upper-floor decks. Investigators have not yet announced what sparked the blaze.
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