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NJ Town Mourns Loss Of 'Teddy Bear With Heart Of Gold' Killed Practically On His Own Property
If you're from Andover, you knew Joey Luchetti.
He was the one driving the Joe Veg trucks. Big, silver cross necklace.
And a personality larger than life.
The lifelong Andover resident, 60, died on Friday, May 31, when his 1963 Pontiac veered off of Yates Avenue, local police said.
The car went down into a culvert and Luchetti was ejected into a wooded area, just behind his house, where he died.
"On his own property," said friend of 40 years Joe Pepe, of Fredon. "That's how close to home he was."
Joe Veg famously lived on Luchetti Way, a roadway named after his mo…
NJ Loan Officer Was Fighting For Access To Promising Drug Before He Died, 43
Michael Smith, a Frelinghuysen resident, died on Sunday, April 28, with his wife by his side after battling stomach cancer, according to his obituary and various social media posts. He was 43.
Born in Dover, Smith spent two decades working with Huntington National Bank, according to his obituary on the Cochran Funeral Home website. His LinkedIn page shows he was a mortgage loan officer.
In his free time, Smith enjoyed golfing, cooking, fishing and hiking with his dog Jackson, according to his obituary.
Smith penned a Facebook post in August 2023 explaining his prognosis, noting that h…
James Halbig, Army Veteran, Sandyston Resident, Dies At 52
James Halbig, a Sandyston Township resident, died on Sunday, Feb. 4, at Morristown Medical Center, according to his obituary.
Born in Dover, Halbig grew up in Denville and graduated Morris Knolls High School, his obituary reads. He joined the United States Army, serving multiple tours in Germany and the Middle East, including Desert Storm, according to his obituary. He settled in Sandyston and worked as a mechanic at Sussex County Rental Center in Andover, his obituary reads.
A diehard Philadelphia Eagles fan, Halbig was a volunteer fireman for Andover Borough and also served in the N…
Officers, Suspect Treated For Hypothermia After Pursuit Ends Neck-Deep In Sussex County Swamp
A 42-year-old New York man and a Sussex County police officer were hospitalized for hypothermia after the man was nabbed neck-deep in swamp water, authorities said.
Joseph M Flood, of Port Jervis, NY, had been eluding police in various jurisdictions but was spotted by police in Andover while on Anover-Mohawk Road in a Chevy Avalanche around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, local police said.
Flood continued south on Andover-Mohawk Road, but fled on food after losing control and hitting a utility pole, Andover police said.
Flood ran through the woods, officers following close behind.
Fl…
Stillwater Fire Kills Two Pets
Two pets died in a Sussex County house fire in which an off-duty trooper and firefighter was the first to respond, officials said.
Reports of a fire came from a neighbor on on Saddleback Road in Stillwater around 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22, fire officials said.
"A nearby trooper who is also a firefighter arrived on scene and reported a working fire," the Stillwater Area Volunteer Fire Company said on Facebook.
Firefighters from Stillwater, Hampton, Fredon, Andover, Blairstown, Byram, Green, and Branchville responded, with Knowlton on standby.
Flames were coming from the side of t…
These NJ Towns Got The Most Rain, Snow In Weekend Storm
The National Weather Service has released rainfall totals from the weekend storm.
Between Sunday morning, Dec. 10 and Monday morning, Dec. 11, the area that got the most amount of rain was Deerfield with 4.45 inches, then Flemington/Hopewell, with 4.29 inches. Franklin Lakes saw 4.09 inches, the NWS says. Flanders only got .13 inches, and Florham Park only had .38 inches of rain.
High Point got 5.1 inches of snow, according to the NWS, the most across the state, while Wantage saw 5 inches and Hardyston saw .4 inches.
Here are the average inches of rain that feel from across the s…
Sussex County Man Initiates High-Speed Rt. 46 Chase, Crashes Into Tree, Flees Again: Prosecutor
A Sussex County man was identified and arrested after speeding away from officers attempting to stop him, crashing in Hackettstown, and fleeing on foot, authorities said.
Jeffrey Bissonnette, 52, of Andover, was seen speeding past other vehicles on Route 46 and driving recklessly on Saturday, August 19, Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer said in a Wednesday release.
Bissonnette allegedly ignored officers’ attempts to stop him, continuing east on Route 46 in Hackettstown and eventually crashing into a tree on Cook Street.
He then fled the scene on foot, at which point officers were…
Cops Find 13 Credit Cards Owned By 5 Different People On Sussex County Man Stopped On Rt. 206
A Sussex County man stopped for a Route 206 traffic violation was later arrested for having 13 credit cards belonging to five different people, authorities said.
Dominick J. Fernandez was charged with credit card theft, possession of a prescription drug, open container of alcohol, fictitious registration, and several other motor vehicle offenses, Byram Township Police said in a release on Friday, Oct. 28.
Police stopped Fernandez for failing to keep right on Route 206 in Byram on Monday, Oct. 17, they said.
A follow-up investigation found that Fernandez, of Andover, was allegedly driving w…
Sussex County Man Killed In Crash With Pickup Truck On Route 80, State Police Say
A Sussex County man was killed in a Route 80 crash involving a pickup truck during the afternoon on Sunday, Oct. 16, state police confirmed.
Joseph Bahnken, 76, was driving a Mitsubishi in the center lane of Route 80 eastbound when he entered the left lane and hit a Nissan pickup truck near milepost 25.4 in Mount Olive at 2:55 p.m., NJSP Sgt. Philip Curry told DailyVoice.com.
The Mitsubishi then ran off the road and hit the left guardrail, causing Bahnken, of Andover, to suffer fatal injuries, Curry said.
The Nissan driver was uninjured.
All eastbound lanes east of exit 25 - Rt. 206 in M…
‘Tragic:’ Devoted Sussex County Father Of 5 Dies In Motorcycle Crash, 38
Devoted Sussex County father of five Joseph E. August died in a motorcycle crash on Friday, July 15. He was 38.
Joseph attended the Hopatcong School District before moving to Andover, where he lived at the time of his death, according to his social media page and obituary.
He loved fishing, the ocean, riding his motorcycle, and spending time with his family.
Joseph was described as a “devoted father that would stop the world for his children.”
“He will be remembered for his infectious smile, big brown eyes, his huge heart and sense of humor,” reads Joseph’s memorial.
Joseph leaves behind…
Support Rises For North Jersey Family After Death Of Beloved 10-Year-Old Daughter
Support is on the rise for a North Jersey family left heartbroken after the death of their 10-year-old daughter.
Emily Lenora Fleming died at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on Thursday, June 23, her obituary says.
Emily had just finished fourth grade at the Florence M. Burd Elementary School in Andover, where she played the flute and was a dedicated safety patrol member, according to her memorial.
She also loved participating in Troop #98136 of the Girl Scouts, playing soccer, flamingos, crocheting, and camping.
Emily leaves behind her loving parents, Bob and Kelly Fleming, two …
Dump Truck Rips Off Propane Valve, Causing Massive Leak, Evacuation In Sussex County (Photos)
A mason dump truck drove over a propane tank in Sussex County, causing a massive leak that took hours to repair and required an evacuation of the area, authorities said.
Fire departments in Stillwater, Fredon, and Hampton responded to the Bear Brook community in Fredon alongside numerous local emergency crews around 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 29, authorities said.
Upon arrival, the teams found that the mason dump had driven over an underground 1,500-gallon propane tank and ripped off the relief valve from the top.
The truck was still on top of the tank as crews responded to the scene, the team…
Sussex County Native, Devoted Father Dies In Car Crash At 29
Support is on the rise for the heartbroken family of a Sussex County native and devoted father who died in a car crash at the age of 29.
Anthony Joel Medina died on Saturday, May 14, his obituary says.
Born in Morristown, Anthony graduated from Newton High School in 2010 and had lived in Green Township for most of his life, according to his memorial.
Anthony was a skilled athlete, especially in football, wrestling, and softball. He went on to attend William Paterson University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting, his obituary says.
Anthony most recently worked at ADT in Flo…
Sussex County Woman Wanted For Heroin Distribution Nabbed In Newark: Police
A Sussex County woman wanted for heroin distribution in Hackettstown was arrested in Newark, police confirmed.
Hackettstown Police issued a warrant for Chelsea M. Pruden, 28, with charges for heroin distribution on Nov. 19, authorities said.
Pruden, of Andover, was arrested in Newark by the Essex County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, police said.
She was charged with two counts each of distribution of heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, second-degree distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a public park and distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of school property.
The s…
