An off-duty Phillipsburg police officer died Saturday evening after a car on a side street pulled out in front of the motorcycle the officer was riding east on Memorial Parkway, according to Warren County Prosecutor Jim Pfeiffer.
The officer, Dominic Belcastro, had the right of way and the investigation is continuing into possible citations against the driver of the car, Pfeiffer said. He did not name the other driver.
Belcastro was riding a Harley-Davidson in the highway’s left lane just after 6:30 p.m., Pfeiffer said. A woman driving a 2000 Toyota Camry was at the stop sign on Firth Street waiting to pull across the highway to the turnaround near the post office, the prosecutor said.
A vehicle in the right lane of the highway drove past the intersection and the Toyota attempted to cross just after, Pfeiffer said. Belcastro, who was wearing a helmet, put down the bike on the road, which is a common crash evasion tactic, but he struck the car as the bike slid past and stopped beyond the intersection, Pfeiffer said.
Belcastro was pronounced dead at the scene, Pfeiffer said.
Area law enforcement agencies took to social media to express condolences for the officer.
Belcastro served the Phillipsburg Police Department for the past eight years and was a member of the department’s Honor Guard, they said. He leaves behind a wife and two daughters, according to the posts.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office described Belcastro as “one of the good ones, beloved husband, father and friend.”
“Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers,” the post added.
Phillipsburg Police Officer Dean Berrigan also has launched an online fundraiser to help assist Belcastro’s family with expenses. As of 9:45 a.m., the fundraiser reached $14,505 by 129 donors toward a $20,000 goal.
Belcastro additionally served in the U.S. Army and was an operator with the Warren County Tactical Response Team, according to the fundraiser.
The highway was closed for several hours and a detour was put in place during, the New Jersey Department of Transportation said. There was a significant traffic backup, the DOT said.
Town police, the town rescue squad, town firefighters, the prosecutor’s office’s Serious Collision Analysis Response Team, paramedics from Hunterdon Medical Center and the DOT responded to the crash.
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Tony Rhodin can be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.
April 04, 2021 at 09:37PM
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