Stroud Township, PA – Albert VanRiper III, 71, of Montville, NJ, Dies a Week After I-80 Motorcycle Crash

Stroud Township, PA (Aug. 25, 2026) – Albert R. VanRiper III, 71, of Montville, New Jersey, died a week after a highway crash near Stroudsburg. Pennsylvania State Police at Stroudsburg said a box truck struck his motorcycle from behind.

Troopers said the crash happened at about 8:16 p.m. on Aug. 25 near mile marker 304.9 on Interstate 80 East. The crash happened inside a work zone where the left lane was closed. VanRiper was riding a 2024 Harley-Davidson in the right lane as traffic slowed for the work zone.

A 2020 Ford box truck driven by Navpreet Fnu, 24, of Pompton Plains, New Jersey, was traveling behind the motorcycle, police said. Investigators said Fnu applied the brakes but could not stop in time. The truck struck the rear of VanRiper’s motorcycle.

VanRiper was thrown from the motorcycle and came to rest in the left lane, police said. He was flown to Cedar Crest Hospital, where he died from his injuries a week later.

Police said VanRiper was wearing a helmet, and Fnu was not injured. State police charged Fnu with following too closely.

This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.

Fatal Motorcycle Accidents on Pennsylvania Highways

A rear-end crash inside a highway work zone leaves behind evidence that does not last. The box truck’s onboard data, the driver’s log book, and the contractor’s lane-closure records can all disappear fast.

• Request the autopsy report and full medical records documenting the cause of death
• Avoid giving a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer
• Preserve the truck’s black box data, dash camera footage, and driver log book before they are lost
• Do not sign any settlement before a wrongful death claim has been fully reviewed

Pennsylvania follows a modified comparative negligence rule. A family can still recover even if the motorcyclist shares some fault, as long as he was not more than half responsible (42 Pa.C.S. § 7102). Federal safety rules on following distance and driver hours may also apply, since the truck was a commercial vehicle.

A wrongful death claim after a crash like this is worth discussing with a Pennsylvania truck accident attorney soon. These claims generally must be filed within two years of the date of death (42 Pa.C.S. § 5524). VanRiper died in early September 2026, which puts the filing deadline in early September 2028.

Contact Our Pennsylvania Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. has represented injured people and grieving families across Northeastern Pennsylvania since 2001, from Scranton and Wilkes-Barre out through Monroe, Wayne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lycoming, and the surrounding counties.

Our attorneys handle motorcycle, car, and truck accidents, wrongful death claims, and other serious injury matters, backed by more than 100 years of combined trial experience and hundreds of jury trials.

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