NJ firefighter charged in Magnolia fire truck crash that killed 2

MAGNOLIA — A firefighter who also served as a cop is charged with vehicular homicide for causing a crash that killed two people, Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay announced.

John Gibson, 29, of Lawnside is charged with two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide by operating a vehicle recklessly. Gibson was responding to a call on behalf of the Lawnside fire department and driving a fire truck at the time of the crash on the morning of Jan. 19, MacAulay said.

The victims of the crash were identified by officials as Pine Hill residents John Bishop, 68, and Marie Endicott, 75. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.

MacAulay said an investigation showed that while driving the firetruck, Gibson crossed the double yellow lines to get around cars stopped at the red light at the intersection of Warwick Road and White Horse Pike (Route 30).

As Gibson drove through the intersection without stopping, MacAulay said the firetruck hit a Nissan Sentra driven by Bishop with Endicott in the passenger seat.

Three firefighters were also taken to Jefferson-Stratford Hospital for minor injuries, 6ABC reported.

Along with his service as a firefighter, The Daily Voice reported that Bishop also graduated from the Camden County College Police Academy in 2017. He was sworn in as a Lawnside Class II police officer in Nov. 2020.

Rick Rickman is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com

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If you are going downhill and run into an uphill hiker, step to the side and give the uphill hiker space. A hiker going uphill has the right of way unless they stop to catch their breath.

Always stay on the trail, you may see side paths, unless they are marked as an official trail, steer clear of them. By going off-trail you may cause damage to the ecosystems around the trail, the plants, and wildlife that live there.

You also do not want to disturb the wildlife you encounter, just keep your distance from the wildlife and continue hiking.

Bicyclists should yield to hikers and horses. Hikers should also yield to horses, but I’m not sure how many horses you will encounter on the trails in New Jersey.

If you are thinking of bringing your dog on your hike, they should be leashed, and make sure to clean up all pet waste.

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