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Richard Stuart, Jr., 23, of Passaic had Raquel Prada-Galvez, 24, of Clifton on back when the 2011 Suzuki GSXR crashed in the highway's eastbound lanes between Bloomfield Avenue and the Garden State Parkway shortly before 1:30 a.m., Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Clifton Police Chief Thomas Rinaldi said in a joint announcement.
Sources with direct knowledge of the incident said the motorcycle hit a deer, slicing it in half.
The rider-less cycle continued on, smashing into an eastbound 2017 Toyota RAV-4, they said.
The result, they told Daily Voice, was a "significant debris field."
Both Stuart and Prada-Galvez were pronounced dead at the scene, Valdes and Rinaldi said. The SUV driver wasn't injured, they added.
All eastbound lanes remained closed for an extended period so the wreckage could be cleared and a preliminary investigation conducted.
Anyone who might have witnessed the crash or has information that could help investigators is asked to contact the prosecutor's tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org or the Clifton Police Department Traffic Division: (973) 470-5908.
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