16-03-2025
Man dies after being ejected from dirt bike at Manchester's Heritage Minerals site
MANCHESTER — A 28-year-old Brooklyn man died March 15 after he was ejected from his dirt bike while riding over a steep drop on the Heritage Minerals property shortly before noon, police said.
While riding, Joseph W. Maffia came to the crest of a hill, which led to a drop of approximately 10 feet, according to Capt. Al Vega, Manchester police public information officer. As he went over the edge, Maffia was thrown from his bike and collided face-first into a sand embankment.
Maffia was taken to Community Medical Center, Toms River, by Manchester EMS, where he was pronounced dead, Vega said.
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Vega said Maffia was wearing a state-approved helmet at the time of the accident, but sustained severe injuries. Other dirt bike riders found Maffia lying face-down, unresponsive, and were attempting life-saving measures when officers arrived. The blue Yamaha YZ450F dirt bike was on the ground in the sand, Vega said.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, but at this point, the unsafe operation of a dirt bike on private property is considered the primary contributing factor. This crash is being investigated by Officer Brendan Brush of the department's Traffic Safety Unit.
Vega said police are reminding the public that the Heritage Minerals site is private property and is closed for recreational and other use. It's a criminal offense to enter or remain on the land, which remains a popular spot for dirt bike riding — and swimming in the summer — despite numerous deaths from drowning in the cold lakes and many accidents with dirt bikes and ATVs on the land.
Violators face steep fines for trespassing on the property, Vega said.
In New Jersey, ATVs and other off-road vehicles are only allowed on private property with permission of the owner. But that hasn't stopped many enthusiasts, who have made their own trails on private property and protected Pinelands areas across Ocean County and the Pine Barrens.
In December 2020, 62-year-old Howell resident James Grover drowned while strapped into a safety harness on an ATV when it crashed into the lake. The driver, Howell resident Stephen McGuire, was indicted after police said he had a blood alcohol content level of 0.127.
Two men also drowned last summer at the Heritage Minerals site.
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The 7,000-acre Heritage Minerals property is located between Routes 37 and 70 near Lakehurst. It's also known as ASARCO after the company — ASARCO Inc., which stands for American Smelting and Refining Company — that mined the property for titanium, zircon and other metals from 1973 to 1986. Heritage Minerals continued mining operations until 1990 after acquiring the property.
Assisting at the scene of the March 15 accident were emergency medical technicians from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, the Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department, the Whiting Volunteer Fire Department, Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit and Priced Rite Towing.
Jean Mikle covers Toms River, Seaside Heights and several other Ocean County towns. She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle, jmikle@
Staff Writer Mike Davis contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Manchester dirt bike accident at ASARCO: Brooklyn man dies
