Bridgewater Motorcyclist, 29, Killed as Pickup Turns Into His Path on Finderne Ave

A 29-year-old Somerset man is dead after his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck that turned directly into his path at the intersection of Finderne Avenue and East Main Street in Bridgewater Sunday afternoon. Bridgewater Township Police responded to the crash at about 4:12 p.m. and found a disabled Ford F-150 and a heavily damaged 2014 Suzuki GSX motorcycle in the roadway, with the motorcycle operator ejected, unresponsive and not breathing.

According to News12 New Jersey, the motorcycle had been heading southbound on Finderne Avenue in the right lane, approaching the intersection at East Main Street, when the northbound F-150 attempted to make a left turn onto East Main Street and turned directly into its path, per a police statement. The motorcycle struck the passenger side of the truck, and the impact caused the rider to be ejected. Officers began CPR and other life-saving measures at the scene before paramedics transported the rider to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Somerville, where he was pronounced deceased.

The truck was operated by a 68-year-old Somerville man. Per Patch, the pickup was a 2017 Ford F-150, and the driver was uninjured in the collision, according to Bridgewater Police Sgt. Kevin Florczak.

Investigation Continues, Witnesses Sought

The crash remains under investigation. Bridgewater Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit Officer Steve Black is leading the inquiry and is seeking statements from anyone who witnessed the collision, the same Patch report notes. Finderne Avenue was closed to traffic for approximately three hours Sunday afternoon while crash reconstruction teams worked the scene.

It remains unclear whether summonses or criminal charges will be filed against the pickup driver, or whether speed or distraction played a role in the crash. Under New Jersey law, drivers turning left at an intersection must yield the right-of-way to any oncoming vehicle that constitutes an immediate hazard, a standard investigators typically weigh when reconstructing left-turn collisions like this one, according to FindTheLawyers.

A Familiar Danger Zone

The intersection has a documented history of left-turn collisions. In January 2024, Bridgewater Police investigated a similar crash at the same intersection in which a northbound driver turning left onto East Main Street struck a southbound vehicle and drove it into a utility pole, according to a report from MetroLaw. Bridgewater police had also previously investigated a crash at the intersection.

Finderne Avenue has seen other deadly incidents in recent months. A separate fatal crash near Van Veghten Drive in June resulted in vehicular homicide charges against a 19-year-old driver after a head-on collision killed a 44-year-old motorist, as reported by New Jersey 101.5. Whether county or municipal traffic engineers will consider left-turn signal phasing or other safety upgrades at the Finderne Avenue and East Main Street intersection remains an open question.

Part of a Broader Pattern

Motorcyclists face particular risk from left-turning vehicles statewide. New Jersey State Police statistics show motorcycle deaths reached a 15-year statewide high of 99 fatalities in 2021, with driver inattention and unsafe speed cited in 44 fatal motorcycle crashes, while improper passing and following too closely were cited in at least 15, according to NJ.com. That said, overall traffic fatalities in New Jersey declined by nearly 15% in 2025, falling from 684 deaths in 2024 to 582 deaths in 2025, per state data reported by Patch.