Two Motorcycles Crash in Hopewell After Police Chase (Updated)
Hopewell Township Police Officer Mark Panzano was heading southbound along Bear Tavern Road near Pennington Titusville Road at about 5:20 p.m. Saturday when he observed four motorcycles traveling north along Bear Tavern Road at 66 miles per hour, according to police. The posted speed limit on the road is 45 miles per hour. Panzano turned around and attempted to catch up to the motorcycles. After Officer Panzano activated his emergency lights and siren in an attempt to stop the motorcycles, the motorcyclists increased their speed, and began to pass other motor vehicles along the roadway, according to police. Panzano lost sight of the motorcycles as they headed towards Harbourton Rocktown Road. As Panzano continued to head northbound, he discovered that two of the motorcycles had left the roadway and crashed just south of Harbourton Mt. Airy Road.
A 1998 Kawasaki motorcycle driven by 21 year old Raimy Valdez of Morrisville, Pa., crashed into a wooden post and rail fence. Valdez was uninjured, was placed under arrest, and was charged with eluding a police officer, speeding, passing over a double yellow line and reckless driving. He remains in police custody.
A 2009 Kawasaki motorcycle, driven Trenton resident Tom Emmanuel, 21, crashed into a mailbox and a small tree, causing serious injury. The man was transported to a local hospital by the Union Fire Company and Rescue Squad and Capital Health paramedics. He is being treated for serious injuries and remains hospitalized. He has been charged with eluding a police officer, speeding, passing over a double yellow line, reckless driving, driving without a motorcycle endorsement, and failure to display a license plate.
Harbourton Rocktown Road between Harbourton Mt. Airy Road and Harbourton Pleasant Valley
Road was blocked for three hours, police said.
The crash remains under investigation and the case will be forwarded to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.
Dumb and dumber!