Nate Hagerty was killed two days before his 28th birthday.
Donald Auletta never faced criminal charges for the fatal accident, but the victim's family says his negligence is responsible for the death of a 27-year-old Belvidere High School graduate.
Nate Hagerty, 27, of Harmony Township, died April 2015 in a motorcycle crash in Hope Township. (Courtesy photo) Auletta, of Hope Township, is the defendant in a lawsuit filed last month by the family of Nate Hagerty, who was killed in the April 2015 motorcycle crash two days before his 28th birthday. He is survived by his parents and sister.
Hagerty was riding a 2006 Honda CBR through Hope when Auletta, then 47, was turning on Delaware Road (Route 609) on a 1996 Suzuki, New Jersey State Police reported in the days after the crash. Hagerty attempted to brake, lost control and overturned the motorcycle, striking the Suzuki, police said.
The lawsuit says Auletta was riding his Suzuki up and down his driveway and had turned to head east in the westbound lane.
Both men were thrown from their motorcycles, state police previously reported. Hagerty was wearing a helmet and Auletta wasn't.
Auletta, who was hospitalized with undisclosed injuries, was issued motor vehicle violations but never charged criminally in the crash, state police confirmed Thursday.
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Neither the Hagerty's attorney, Jeffrey S. Katz, nor Auletta immediately returned calls for comment.
Hagerty, of Harmony Township, was a 2005 Belvidere High School graduate born in Seoul, South Korea. He had a "heart of gold" and was "well loved by everyone," according to his obituary, which also mentioned a 32-yard field goal he kicked as a varsity County Seater football player.
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.