The crowd was agitated because their hero was dead? Good riddance career felon.

Cops: Motorcyclist who died in crash had extensive criminal record

Tuesday, August 24, 2010
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The career felon carrying nearly 170 vials of suspected cocaine when he died in a motorcycle crash after a Jersey City police chase Saturday had only been out of federal prison 36 days when he died, officials said yesterday.

Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Joseph Taylor, 34, of Belmont Avenue, had spent from May 12, 2003 to this past July 16 at the U.S. Penitentiary in Beaumont, Texas, after he was convicted on the federal charge of possession of a firearm by a felon, Federal Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman Felicia Ponce said yesterday.


Taylor, who also has an extensive criminal record in New Jersey, was pronounced dead at the Jersey City Medical Center 10:53 p.m. after crashing on Fulton Avenue between Ocean Avenue and Vreeland Place at 10:15 p.m., police said.

In the middle of the road, between the crash and where Taylor's body came to rest about 25 feet away, police found a bag containing 169 vials of suspected cocaine, reports said.

Taylor was in state prison from Jan. 4, 2000 to Nov. 27, 2000 for three counts of drug possession with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school, as well as a parole violation and unlawful possession of a firearm, state corrections records say.

Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said that on Sept. 5, 2003, Taylor was also sentenced in New Jersey state court for escape and resisting arrest but those sentences were served concurrent with his federal term.

Cops began to follow Taylor after he sped through a stop sign at Dwight and Van Cleef streets Saturday, reports stated. Continuing on Dwight Street, Taylor blew a red light at Ocean Avenue, reports said.

The officers turned on their lights and siren but soon broke off the chase because the speeding bike had opened too great a gap, police said.

Following in their cruiser, the officers saw the motorcyclist turn right at Garfield Avenue and make another right onto Fulton Avenue. As they turned onto Fulton Avenue, the police officers heard a loud crash, reports indicated.

When they reached the crash scene, cops saw Taylor on the ground next to a black Honda and his 2003 Suzuki motorcycle next to a white Ford Windstar, police said.

The owner of the Honda told The Jersey Journal yesterday that Taylor ran into the rear passenger side of her car.

A group of people gathered around Taylor, and police needed additional units to control the agitated crowd, reports said.

Taylor was not breathing, and although police officers administered CPR until EMTs arrived, they could not save him, reports said.