Howell man, 22, dies of
injuries suffered in crash
HOWELL — A Howell resident who led police on a high-speed pursuit that ended in a motor vehicle crash on Feb. 13 died five days later as a result of head injuries he sustained in that accident.
Nicholas Errico, 22, of Cripple Creek Road, had been charged by police with multiple motor vehicle offenses that included eluding an officer.
Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Robert A. Honecker Jr. said Errico died at 10:20 p.m. Feb. 18 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, from severe head trauma wounds.
Honecker said Errico suffered the injuries on Feb. 13 when his motorcycle collided with an automobile that was being driven by off-duty Howell police Sgt. John Storrow.
Storrow was in his private vehicle at the time of the accident. Honecker said Storrow’s car was not equipped with a police radio that would have alerted him to the fact that a police pursuit was under way near his location.
According to a police account of the incident as explained in a press release and Honecker’s subsequent conversation with a reporter, when Errico’s motorcycle ran into Storrow’s vehicle it ended a pursuit that had lasted five minutes from start to finish.
At 4:30 p.m. Feb. 13, Patrolman Jesse Moore reported that Errico was operating his motorcycle in a "reckless manner" on Route 547. Moore said Errico was weaving through southbound and northbound traffic on Route 547 at a "high rate of speed."
According to Moore, Errico turned on to Oak Glen Road, still traveling at a high rate of speed, and then quickly turned on to Windeler Road in what appeared to be an attempt to elude the officer.
On Windeler Road Errico continued to ignore Patrolman Nick Bondarew’s patrol car as he had Moore’s. Errico crossed Georgia Tavern Road and entered east Freewood Acres.
For a short time, officers reported losing sight of him. Errico was then spotted on his motorcycle on East First Street by patrolmen Bernie Fowler and Jaime Higgins.
Police said Errico attempted to elude Fowler and Higgins and sped down Frederick Avenue and around a vehicle driven by Sgt. Andrew Kudrick.
Continuing at a "high rate of speed," Honecker said, Errico drove west on Georgia Tavern Road and then collided with Storrow’s vehicle as Storrow was exiting the parking lot of a Stewart’s root beer stand at the corner of Georgia Tavern Road and Route 9 north.
Storrow is not reported to have sustained any injury from Errico hitting his vehicle.
Honecker said he was waiting for an investigation of the matter to be completed before speculating as to why Errico chose to attempt to elude police.