Subject: Dirt-bike crash kills rider in police pursuit: By SHAWN HARDIE Staff Writer, The Press; MULLICA TOWNSHIP — A Hammonton man being pursued by police died after his dirt bike collided with another vehicle at a local intersection Thursday evening, police said. John Gorman, 30, was traveling north on Elwood Road about 8:30 p.m. at an excessive rate of speed while being pursued by two Mullica officers, police said. Gorman ran the red light at the intersection of Elwood and Moss Mill roads and collided with a vehicle driven by Lindsey Hicks, of Hammonton, traveling west on Moss Mill Road, police said. Gorman was thrown from the bike and hit another car that was stopped at the red light, police said. The driver of the third vehicle was Elwood resident Mark Manasala. Hicks, 30, and Manasala, 17, were not injured. Gorman was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he died as a result of his injuries, police said. Gorman was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and his dirt bike was not registered or insured, police said. The accident is under investigation by Mullica police and the Fatal Collision Unit of the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. Police attempted to stop Gorman because he was not wearing a helmet, his motorcycle did not have a license tag, and the bike was not equipped with a headlight, turn signals and other equipment that is necessary to register it for use on the road, Mullica Detective John Thompson said Friday.

RESPONSE: Somewhat of an irony here, as at the May 8th Mullica Town meeting a new Ordinance was introduced to address the local problem of off road vehicles in Mullica. Exactly what the parameters of the new law as is the norm, were not explained to those in attendance at the meeting by the Mayor, cathy THE BAG LADY chasey.

Mullica's various gravel pits had been for a long time an attractive destination of many out of towners to bring their ATVs and other off road vehicles to Mullica for recreation and had become a problem to neighbors and also in terms of public safety. The statistics on ATV deaths last year were about 140,000 killed and of those untimely deaths about 30% were children under 16. The recommendations of the medical profession is that ATV usage by those under 16 be totally banned by States as these vehicles account for so many accidents to children and are judged to be harder to drive than automobiles. Of course, the lobby group for the manufacturers are opposed and they tend to own the politicians with campaign contributions in both parties.