HILLBURN, NY - Ramapo police today identified the New Jersey man found dead in the woods following an ATV crash.
Gregory Morris, 62, of Mahwah was found pinned underneath the vehicle in the woods along the New York-New Jersey border on Tuesday, police said.
Intro about Gregory Morris from his Facebook page:
- Former Owner-operator at Morris Enterprises
- Went to Northern Valley Regional Demarest High School
- Lives in Mahwah, New Jersey
- Married
- From Haworth, New Jersey
Ramapo Detective Sgt. Brian Corbett said detectives continued to investigate the cause of Morris' death.
Morris was last seen about 3 p.m. Monday going into the woods to ride his all-terrain vehicle, police said. After he did not return, he was reported to the police as a missing person with an existing medical condition.
Mahwah police found his body, using the pings of his cell phone to determine the device was in the Ramapo Mountains, approximately 1,000 feet into Hillburn.
Mahwah officers Kevin Tielemans and Timothy Letavish responded to the general area of the last cellphone ping and found Morris pinned underneath his ATV, according to Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli.
Ramapo police and Rockland Paramedics Services Inc. then responded and declared him dead.
Morris showed no vital signs and New York authorities pronounced him dead at the scene, according to Batelli.
Due to the rugged terrain, the New Jersey Search & Rescue Unit and Hillburn volunteer firefighters assisted in the search and provided ATVs to transport police and medical response teams.
Corbett said detectives expect to wrap up the investigation within the next several days. Mahwah police are assisting Ramapo.
This is what one of his daughters wrote in his Facebook pages:
Hello everyone, this is Morgan, I was one of his daughters. It's terrible what happened to my dad and so suddenly, but I hope he will live in everyone's hearts and you can remember all the times he made you laugh.
For anyone who would like to pay their respects the services will be this Friday, July 7th at Immaculate Heart of Mary at 47 Island Road, Mahwah, NJ from 5:00-8:00 pm and the mass will be on Saturday, July 8th, also at Immaculate Heart of Mary at 10:00 am.
Thank you everyone for the love and condolences, it has truly been helping my family get through this horrible time.
======================
Ramapo police are investigating the death of a New Jersey man who may have been killed in an ATV accident in a wooded area.
Authorities found a 62-year-old man early Tuesday morning in the woods along the New York-New Jersey border in Hillburn. The victim was not identified pending notification of his family.
According to Ramapo Police Sgt. Brian Corbett, the man's death appears to be an accident.
The man was last seen Monday at 3 p.m. going into the woods to ride his all terrain vehicle (ATV) and after he did not return his disappearance was reported to the police as a missing person with an existing medical condition.
Officers from the Mahwah Police were the first to find the man's body, which was located by using the pings of the man's cell phone.
Ramapo Police and Rockland Paramedics then responded and the male was declared deceased.
Due to the rugged terrain, the N.J. Search & Rescue Unit, and the Hillburn Volunteer Fire Department assisted in the search by supplying personnel and ATVs to transport police and medical response teams.
===============
ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.J. -- A Mahwah contractor was killed after being pinned beneath his ATV in Hillburn during his daily ride in the Ramapo Mountains, township police who found him said Tuesday.
Gregory Morris, 62, was reported missing by his wife at 10:40 p.m. Monday after he didn't return from his 3 p.m. ride, Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli told Daily Voice.
"She was concerned that he had not returned home yet and she could not contact him on his cell," Batelli said.
Police pinged the cellphone carried by Morris, who'd gone riding at the top of Stag Hill in Mahwah, which abuts Hilllburn and Ramapo, N.Y., and placed it about 1,000 feet into Hillburn, the chief said.
Mahwah Sgt. Stacy Conley and Officers Mazen Kandis, Kevin Tielemans and Timothy Letavish, along with the township Patrol Services Unit, joined Ramapo police and the New Jersey Search and Rescue Team.
Soon after, Letavish and Tielemans, riding an off-road vehicle, found Morris pinned under the ATV.
Morris "showed no vital signs and was pronounced at the scene by New York authorities who also responded," Batelli said.
===============
Ramapo, New York and Mahwah police are working together after a New Jersey man was found dead just over the New York state border, according to police.
At about 10:40 p.m. Monday, a Mahwah woman reported that her husband, Gregory Morris, left their home at 3 p.m., riding his ATV toward the Ramapo mountains, according to Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli. She expressed her concern to the police that he was not home yet and that he was not answering his cellphone.
Members of the Mahwah Police Department began searching for Morris near the top of Stag Hill, which is near the towns of Hillburn and Ramapo in New York State.
About midnight, the Mahwah police contacted the Ramapo police to help with the search, according to Ramapo Police Sgt. Brian Corbett. Mahwah police coordinated search efforts with the New Jersey Search and Rescue Team along with authorities from Ramapo.
Morris's cellphone was pinged for its location, and it was determined that his phone was in the Ramapo Mountains, approximately 1,000 feet into Hillburn, New York. Mahwah officers Kevin Tielemans and Timothy Letavish responded to the general area of the last cellphone ping and found Morris pinned underneath his ATV.
Morris showed no vital signs and New York authorities pronounced him dead at the scene, according to Batelli.
Corbett said police believe Morris died as a result of an ATV accident, but noted that the investigation is still ongoing. He expects it to be wrapped up within the next several days but could not give a definitive time frame. Mahwah police are assisting Ramapo police with this investigation.
"A search was started under the direction of Sgt. Stacy Conley, Officers Mazen Kandis, Tielemans, Letavish and the Patrol Services Unit," Batelli said. Batelli thanked the New Jersey Search and Rescue team for its response and assistance