See The Video, 911 Call Of Fatal Moped Crash In Woodbridge In July 2025

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — On Tuesday afternoon, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin released the bodycamera video and 911 call from a fatal moped crash in Woodbridge in July, where a Perth Amboy Police officer pursued the moped driver into Woodbridge, and the moped driver died in a crash shortly after the officer terminated the pursuit.

This happened July 6, 2025. Elizabeth resident Joseph Acevedo-Rodriquez, 26, was the man on the moped who died. The police officer who tried to pull him over was Perth Amboy Police Lieutenant Jose Pais.

The recordings of what happened that night are available here: https://njoag.box.com/s/e6uu3bg1ocfjwlnnf0guupyicygnuqrd

The following is an account from the Attorney General as to what happened:

Just after midnight on that date, three men were driving mopeds in the area of State Street and High Street in Perth Amboy when Lieutenant Pais, who was driving a marked Perth Amboy Police vehicle, tried to pull the three men over. (The AG did not say why.)

Pais activated his overhead lights and siren. Two of the three moped riders continued driving and left the scene. At first Acevedo-Rodriguez pulled over on the shoulder of State Street but he then accelerated and drove away, like the other two. He fled northbound into Woodbridge at a high speed.

Pais followed the moped in his police car until both vehicles crossed the border into Woodbridge. The lieutenant turned off his lights and sirens, made a U-turn and returned to Perth Amboy. Shortly thereafter and approximately a quarter mile north on State Street, between Arbor Street and Ferry Street, Woodbridge Police officers responded to a 911 call about a motor vehicle crash. A passerby called 911 to report that someone fell off his motorcycle near Eighth Street, in Port Reading.

"They're in the middle of the street," the 911 caller said, referring to Acevedo-Rodriguez. "The motorcycle went ahead, and they're in the middle of the street ... I don't see him moving at all. Nobody hit him. He lost control of the motorcycle. I don't know if he's alive or not. The person is not moving at all."

Responding officers found Acevedo-Rodriguez lying in the road with the moped some distance away. It appeared to be a one-vehicle crash, said the Attorney General. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The family of Acevedo-Rodriguez was shown the bodycamera footage and heard the 911 call before they were released to the public.

First Patch report on this incident: Scooter Driver Dies In Woodbridge After Being Pursued By Police (July 7, 2025)