Concertgoers keep police and paramedics busy

By GREG KENNELTY
Staff Writer

MATAWAN — Police departments in Matawan and Aberdeen, along with local paramedics, responded to reports of large crowds of concertgoers last weekend at the Aberdeen-Matawan train station.

According to NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder, numerous reports were received from employees and riders on a northbound train at 6:45 p.m. July 3 about fighting between two groups of juveniles.

By the time the train reached the Aberdeen Matawan station, the two groups involved had dispersed into a crowd of “about 1,000 people,” according to Matawan Police Chief Jason Gallo.

The fighting did not take place at the station and was not witnessed by any officers, according to Gallo and Aberdeen Police Chief John Powers.

One adult male on the train was sent to the hospital with facial injuries, while an 18-yearold female was taken to the hospital for being highly intoxicated, according to Snyder.

Gallo said a large number of passengers traveling on several trains that evening were headed to a concert at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel. He said concert organizer Live Nation set up a makeshift bus station on the Matawan side of the train station to take concertgoers to the venue.

“We pre-schedule officers to be at the station for these kinds of events, and if we know it is going to be a younger crowd, then we are ready,” Gallo said. “Kids ‘pre-game,’ or get drunk, before they get on the train. Parents need to know what their kids are doing.”

Gallo said there were five ambulances staffed with MONOC paramedics on standby at the station. The ambulances made 20 trips to nearby hospitals.

A separate incident occurred at 6:10 p.m. at the Long Branch station, where one male juvenile was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, according to Snyder.

A spokeswoman for Live Nation did not respond to calls seeking comment.