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A 56-year-old motorcylist was killed this morning, heading to work at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, when he was hit head-on by a Ferrari, authorities said.
Stephen Lenge, of Kinnelon, was on his way to work, where he was helping construct the set for the upcoming Electric Daisy Festival, authorities said today.
He was arriving at 7:45 a.m., driving north on Berry’s Creek Road , the service road that winds around the parking lot, said Sgt. Dante Ruocco, a N.J. State Police spokesman.
A pair of 2006 Ferrari F430s — one red, one silver — were heading toward him on the other side of the road, police said. The automobiles, which cost several hundred thousand dollars, are owned by Gotham Dream Cars of Englewood and were being driven by employees of the company, Ruocco said.
Gotham rents high-end sports cars and holds events like Dream Car Sprint in which customers can pay $100 to drive a Ferrari or Lamborghini. The two luxury vehicles were returning from a gas station when 19-year-old Joseph Meyer, of Oviepo, Fla., lost control of the silver Ferrari and spun out of control, striking two cement curbs, according to Trooper Christopher Kay, another State Police spokesman.
The driver of the red Ferrari, 28-year-old Dumont resident Joseph Ferreti, swerved over the double yellow line to avoid being hit, but collided with Lenge’s motorcycle head-on.
Investigators worked through the afternoon taking measurements and trying to determine how fast the Ferrari was travelling. Though the investigation is ongoing, it appears the Ferraris were travelling faster than the 25 mph speed limit, Ruocco said.
Both Meyer and Ferreti suffered minor injuries and were treated at Hackensack University Medical Center, Kay said. Charges had not been filed as of last night, according to Kay, who said the Ferraris were "traveling at a high rate of speed."
Gotham’s event was cancelled.
"This incident was off-site from our event and no customers were involved," said Fazel Adabi, a spokesman for Gotham. "Unfortunately, there was a fatality from a motorcycle rider involved in the incident. First and foremost, we offer our condolences to the family and friends of this individual."
Both the State Police and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office are investigating, Kay said.
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