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Tag: atlantic county

  • Second pilot involved in New Jersey helicopter crash dies, both victims identified by police

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    A second helicopter pilot critically injured in a midair collision in South Jersey has died from his injuries, police said Monday. The other pilot involved in the crash died at the scene.

    Hammonton Police identified the pilots as 65-year-old Kenneth L. Kirsch, of Carney’s Point, New Jersey, and 71-year-old Michael Greenberg of Sewell, New Jersey. Police said Kirsch was piloting an Enstrom model F-28A helicopter, and was flown to a hospital in critical condition after the crash.

    According to police, Kirsch died from his injuries at the hospital.

    Greenberg, who was piloting an Enstrom model 280C, was pronounced dead at the crash site near Basin Road and White Horse Pike in Atlantic County. The pilots were the only people on board both choppers, the Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday.

    Both helicopters had taken off from Hammonton Municipal Airport shortly before the collision at 11:25 a.m. One of the choppers was completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.

    The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating the crash.

    Investigators were back at the crash site early on Monday. A preliminary report from the NTSB could come as early as Monday. The agency said its investigation will focus on the “the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.”

    “I just told him everything was going to be OK”

    Following the crash, CBS News Philadelphia spoke with Caitlyn Collins, who said one of the helicopters landed in her backyard. Collins said she ran toward the wreckage and stayed with Kirsch, who later succumbed to his injuries, as first responders raced to the scene.

    “I just held his hand, I just told him everything was going to be OK and everything was fine, and I told him — you know, you could hear the sirens — I said, they’re coming for you,” Collins said. 

    Other neighbors in the area helped direct emergency crews as they arrived at the crash site.

    In a social media post, New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill said, “My heart is broken for the family of the pilot killed in yesterday’s fatal helicopter crash in Hammonton. I am praying for the full and fast recovery of the other pilot injured and am grateful for the emergency responders on the ground.”

    Sherrill is a former Navy helicopter pilot.

    This is a developing story.

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  • One person killed after 2 helicopters crash in Hammonton, NJ

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    One person has died and another person is in critical condition after two helicopters collided and crashed in Hammonton, New Jersey Sunday. 

    Just before 11:30 a.m., the Hammonton Police Department said two helicopters crash-landed near Basin Road and White Horse Pike in Atlantic County. 

    In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter were involved in the deadly collision near Hammonton Municipal Airport. The helicopters collided mid-air and only the pilots were on board each aircraft, according to the FAA.

    One of the helicopters was “engulfed in flames,” according to a statement from Hammonton Police. 

    CBS News Philadelphia


    Multiple agencies responded to the incident, including the Hammonton Fire Department and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

    The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash. A preliminary incident report will be posted within the next business day by the FAA.

    In a statement the NTSB said the agency is looking into the “inflight collision.” Once the wreckage from the scene is documented, the aircrafts “will be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.”

    The agency’s investigation will focus on three areas including “the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.” A preliminary report by the NTSB is expected within 30 days of the incident. 

    First responders are asking the public to avoid the area as emergency crews continue to respond to the scene. 

    This is a developing story. 

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  • Man arrested, charged for ‘dumping’ dogs at Humane Society of Atlantic County

    Man arrested, charged for ‘dumping’ dogs at Humane Society of Atlantic County

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    A man has been arrested and charged for abandoning multiple dogs at the Humane Society of Atlantic County during evening hours when staff were not available, authorities say.

    Jahlil McNeal, 23, of Atlantic City, was arrested on Saturday and charged with cruelty to animals, failure to provide care to animals, theft of services and witness tampering, the Atlantic City Police Department wrote on Facebook. McNeal is accused of dumping four dogs over the fence at the animal shelter, which is located at 1401 Absecon Blvd. in Atlantic City.

    MORE: Dog available for adoption at PSPCA after video of abuse helps lead to her rescue

    On July 15, McNeal was caught on video arriving at the shelter late at night and walking a black pit bull mix on a leash toward the fence outside the shelter. Once they arrive at the fence, he was seen lifting up the dog and throwing it over the fence. The female dog lands on her side before standing up. 

    “This is the 4th dog dumped over our fence by this individual in the middle of the night,” the Humane Society wrote on Facebook at the time.

    The dog, named Brenda, had “very distinct scarring” on her back when she arrived at the shelter. The Humane Society announced the “heartwarming update” that she was adopted later that month.

    Investigators also said they linked McNeal with a “similar incident” that allegedly happened back in April in which three dogs were abandoned at the Humane Society in a similar fashion to Brenda.

    McNeal was arrested during a motor vehicle stop in Atlantic City. He is in police custody in the Atlantic County Justice Facility. Anyone with information can contact the Atlantic City Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit at 609-347-5766.

    The Humane Society typically accepts pet surrenders by appointment only, and the process involves an application and fee. But the shelter’s website says it is not accepting surrenders at this time.

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    Franki Rudnesky

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  • Disputed mail-in ballots in Democratic primary for N.J.’s 2nd District must be counted, judge rules

    Disputed mail-in ballots in Democratic primary for N.J.’s 2nd District must be counted, judge rules

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    An Atlantic County Superior Court judged ruled Friday that 1,909 vote-by-mail ballots in Tuesday’s primary election must be counted despite having been opened too early by election officials. The outstanding ballots have delayed the resolution of the Democratic primary for U.S. House in the 2nd District. Unofficial results have Joseph Salerno leading Tim Alexander by 412 votes.

    Judge Michael J. Blee’s order argues that state laws for mail-in ballots were designed to leave as much room as possible to ensure that votes be counted, ABC News reported.

    “It is well settled in the state of New Jersey that election laws should be construed liberally,” Blee said.

    The status of the mail-in ballots came into question because it was discovered that the Atlantic County Board of Elections had opened them prematurely in early May, well before the legally required window of within five days of an election. The purpose of opening them had been to put timestamps on the outer and inner envelopes of the ballots, but the machines used for this processes sliced open both ballots.

    Democrats in Atlantic County argued that it was a mistake and said none of the actual ballots were removed from their envelopes. Republican officials questioned whether the ballots had been opened to speed up the vote count. GOP leaders were not requesting the votes be abandoned, but instead sought an investigation and a requirement to inform the voters whose ballots were affected. The number of outstanding ballots is slightly higher than what initially had been reported — at least 1,100 Democratic ballots and 700 Republican ballots.

    Blee was assigned to resolve the matter to break a 2-2 deadlock among Republicans and Democrats on the county Board of Elections.

    “Admittedly what happened this election was sloppy,” Blee said. “It was an inadvertent error. It was an inexcusable error.”

    RELATED: Results of the Democratic and Republican primaries for Senate in New Jersey | Republican primary results in N.J.’s 1st District U.S. House seat | Results for Democratic and Republican in N.J.’s 3rd District U.S. House race

    Salerno, a businessman and attorney, leads Alexander, a civil rights attorney, in a race with four candidates who ran to challenge Republican Jeff Van Drew, a former Democrat who switched parties in 2019. Earlier this week, the Press of Atlantic City reported Alexander had tallied more mail-in ballots by about eight percentage points. If the only outstanding votes left are the ballots that were opened too early, their inclusion likely still leaves Alexander shy of Salerno. Alexander was the Democratic nominee in 2022 and lost to Van Drew in the general election.

    Election officials have not indicated how soon a winner will be declared in the Democratic primary now that Blee’s ruling will allow the ballots to be counted.

    The irregularity is a possible signal of the scrutiny that will be exercised around mail-in ballots nationwide for the general election in November.

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    Michael Tanenbaum

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