JACKSON – A resident of Jackson has died from injuries he sustained when his car was struck by an unlicensed motorcyclist who was apparently fleeing from police.
On July 27, representatives of the Jackson Police Department notified the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office that Eric Dean Larson, 24, had died from injuries resulting from a July 5 collision.
Larson was born in Pittsfield, Mass., and lived in Freehold before moving to Jackson in 1998. He graduated from Jackson Liberty High School in 2012 and earned second team all-state honors in bowling as a senior, according to an obituary from the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, Freehold Township.
He is survived by his father, Kenneth Larson of Freehold; mother, Dana Fiore of Jackson; stepfather, Dominick Fiore of Jackson; fiancé, Taylor Bromberg of Jackson; two daughters, Adriana Nicole and Mikayla Grace; two brothers, Brian Larson of Jackson and Anthony Fiore of Jackson; stepsister, LeeAnn Romanetz of Hazlet; stepbrothers, Dominick Fiore Jr. of Howell and Michael Fiore of Jackson; and many extended family members.
The incident that eventually claimed Larson’s life began at 10:20 p.m. July 5 when Jackson police and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit responded to the area of South New Prospect Road and Oak Drive to investigate a collision that police said was witnessed by an officer.
With assistance from the Ocean County Sheriff’s CSI Unit and a review of the patrol unit’s mobile video recorder, an investigation determined a 2004 Yamaha 999 motorcycle was traveling east on Brewers Bridge Road approaching South New Prospect Road when a Jackson marked patrol unit observed the driver allegedly fail to stop for a red traffic signal.
Police said the driver went through the red light without stopping and turned right to head south on South New Prospect Road. The Jackson police officer followed the motorcycle and activated his vehicle’s overhead lights to initiate a motor vehicle stop.
At that time, police said, the driver accelerated at a high rate of speed for approximately 10 seconds. As the driver approached Oak Drive, his motorcycle struck the driver’s side door of Larson’s 2008 Hyundai Elantra as Larson was turning left to head north on South New Prospect Road.
The driver of the motorcycle was subsequently identified as Anthony Griffin, 22, of Jackson. Police said Griffin was pronounced dead at the scene.
Larson was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, where he died 22 days later.