MANCHESTER, NJ – A dirt bike rider riding through the pits around Sarco Lake in Manchester was rushed to Jersey Shore Medical Center after being found lying in the woods near his motorcycle.
Manchester police reported that on Monday, at around 2:48 pm, officers responded to Heritage Minerals site, also known as Asarco or Sarco, for a single dirt bike crash.
“Upon arrival, officers located an orange 2019 KTM 250 dirt bike on the ground in a wooded area alongside of a dirt trail. The operator was ejected from the dirt bike and found lying in the wooded area a distance from the dirt bike,” police said in a statement. “The operator of the dirt bike was identified as, 22-year-old Deivid Barbosa-Pereira of Newark, NJ. Mr. Barbosa-Pereira suffered extensive legs injuries and was medevaced to Jersey Shore University Hospital for further treatment. The investigation revealed that Mr. Barbosa-Pereira was operating the KTM dirt bike in Asarco, on private property, when he lost control of the dirt bike and struck a tree causing him to be ejected from the bike. At the time of the crash, Mr. Barbosa-Pereira was wearing a motorcycle helmet.”
Manchester police said unsafe operation of a dirt bike on private property contributed to the crash.
For decades, illegal trespassing at the abandoned mining site that is filled with water has led to multiple drownings and off-road injuries. The site used to be a local backwoods party spot for teens and young adults across central Ocean County before police started to more actively monitor the location.