23-05-2025
Grand jury declines to indict state trooper over 2024 Warren County fatal crash
A New Jersey State Police officer will not be criminally charged in relation to a Aug. 13, 2024 fatal crash in Warren County during a highway pursuit of another vehicle, announced the Attorney General's Office.
A state grand jury voted to not file criminal charges against NJSP trooper Christopher Bird on May 20, 2025.
Bird was in pursuit of Sean B. Mamakas, 33, of Kempton, Pennsylvania, when the SUV driven by Mamakas struck a motorcycle and killed Michael J. Ceddia, Jr., 76, of Hackettstown who was a Vietnam War veteran.
At around 10:19 a.m. that August morning, Bird started following a Ford Explorer SUV on Route 80 eastbound in Warren County, officials said. The officer activated his lights with the intention of pulling over Mamakas. The SUV allegedly fled eastbound, taking Exit 12, exiting onto County Road 521 south in Hope Township.
Mamakas struck the motorcycle in the area of Dogwood Drive and County Route 521 in Hope Township when Ceddia was ejected from his bike and died at the scene. Mamakas went off the road and stopped in a wooded area, and was treated for minor injuries at Hackettstown Medical Center.
A Warren County grand jury indicted Mamakas on charges of aggravated manslaughter, death by auto, eluding, aggravated assault, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS). The charges are still pending.
The investigation on Bird included video footage from a motor vehicle recorder and body-worn camera, radio transmissions, witness statements, and autopsy results from the medical examiner, said the OAG.
This article originally appeared on Grand jury declines to indict trooper in fatal Warren County NJ crash
