Man learning to ride motorcycle killed in Toms River, NJ crash

TOMS RIVER — A motorcycle riding lesson in a parking lot turned deadly when he lost control Sunday evening.

Nicholas Cacciapaglia, 24 of Toms River, was learning to ride a Harley Davidson in the parking lot of Ocean County Power Sports on Route 37 around 7:30 p.m., according to Toms River police spokeswoman Jillian Messina.

Cacciapaglia's motorcycle hopped the curb and went down on Route 37, causing him to slide into the center lane where he was fatally struck by a passing vehicle.

The driver of the vehicle, Dominick Maruca, 62 of Toms River, was not believed to be impaired and no charges were issued, according to Messina.

Ocean County Power Sports was closed at the time of the crash and did not own the motorcycle, officials said.

Cacciapaglia attended Toms River High School East, Ocean County Vocational Technical High School and Ocean County College. He worked at R & H Spring and Truck Repair in Wall Township.

The westbound lanes of Route 37 were closed for several hours after the crash.

The crash remains under investigation.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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Best coffee shops & cafes near NJ beaches

When it comes to food, New Jersey is known for many things such as pizza and pork roll. Don't count us out when it comes to coffee.

With all the hustle and bustle involved in the average New Jersey resident's day, coffee is essential. It doesn't matter whether you're living in the cities of North Jersey or the vacation spots at the shore.

In fact, as the former owner of two Jersey shore coffee houses, Coffee Dot Comedy in Sea Isle City and the Daily Grind in Ocean Grove, I know firsthand how much people at the Jersey shore love their coffee.

With respect to that, I asked my social media following where the best coffee houses at the Jersey Shore were, especially since my two places no longer exist.

Below is what they came up with. (And see this other article for their coffee shop and cafe recommendations for Central Jersey.)