26-year-old killed on Route 287 was on motorscooter, hit by 5 vehicles

A rider who lost control of his motor scooter on Route 287 early Monday morning was thrown and struck by five vehicles. He died in the crash.

New Jersey State Police spokesman Sgt. First Class Gregory Williams said Jeffrey Chaparro 26, of Somerset was traveling south on a 2006 Honda Ruckus motor scooter in the right lane at 3:43 a.m. in Franklin Township and lost his balance.

The Ruckus is a motor scooter that tops out at about 35 to 40 miles per hour — well below highway speeds.

According to the preliminary investigation, Chaparro drifted to the left into the center lane, was ejected onto the highway and was struck by a Mazda 6 driven by a woman whose identity was not disclosed by police.

Williams said Chaparro was struck by four additional vehicles. State police previously said a truck was among the vehicles involved in the accident. It's not clear if that was one of those that struck Chaparro directly.

Chaparro was pronounced dead at the scene.The State Police Fatal Accident Unit and Criminal Investigation Unit both conducted an investigation which closed the highway for about 4 hours.

No charges were filed and no one else was injured in the crash.

The closure caused a multi mile delay during the morning commute on Route 287 and surrounding roads as drivers tried to get around the incident.

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