Grand jury clears Pemberton Township police officer in connection with fatal motorcycle crash

TRENTON — A state grand jury has cleared a Pemberton Township police officer in connection with the fatal crash of a motorcyclist.

The victim, John R. Nutt, 41, of Mount Laurel, died after he tried to flee a traffic stop on the afternoon of April 20, 2023, according to the state Attorney General's Office.

A passenger on Nutt's motorcycle was injured, but survived.

The collision happened around 5 p.m. after police received a 911 call alleging Nutt had stolen a motorcycle, the Attorney General's Office said in a statement.

Pemberton Township Police Department Officer LaQuan Jett was pursuing the motorcycle shortly before the crash, the statement said.

Deptford incident started with 911 call: Grand jury clears officer in fatal shooting of Sicklerville man

A dashboard camera shows Jett's patrol car speeding through traffic for a little more than a minute, with most vehicles pulling over to the right to make way for the officer.

The crash occurred as Nutt tried to pass a minivan on County Route 687 West, also known as Elizabeth Street, in Pemberton Borough.

Nutt's motorcycle collided with the minivan as the larger vehicle moved toward the curb near Davis Street.

A unit of the Attorney General's Office presented the findings of an investigation to a grand jury.

The investigation included witness interviews, photographs, review of video footage, and autopsy results.

State law requires an investigation into any death that involves a law enforcement officer acting in an official capacity.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Pemberton Township officer was pursuing motorcycle before fatal crash