New Jersey State Police Detective Convicted at Trial of Endangering Motorcyclist in Fatal 2023 Crash in South Jersey

TRENTON — Following an approximately week-long trial, a New Jersey State Police (NJSP) detective has been convicted by a Camden County jury in connection with his role in a June 20, 2023, miles-long, high-speed chase in Springfield Township, Burlington County, in which a motorcyclist from Queens, New York, lost his life.

NJSP Detective Mark Campagna, 47, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, was found guilty on May 13, 2026 of endangering another person (fourth degree) by a jury seated before New Jersey Superior Court Judge Gwendolyn Blue, Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division in Camden County. The jury determined that the defendant knowingly engaged in conduct which created a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to Mr. Omar Kebbabi, 24, of Queens. The incident was investigated and prosecuted by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA).

According to statements made in court proceedings and filings, as well as the evidence presented at trial, the defendant and Mr. Kebbabi initially encountered each other on June 20, 2023 on Route 206, several miles prior to the intersection where the collision occurred. The defendant, who was not on his scheduled shift but was operating an unmarked take-home State Police vehicle, followed Mr. Kebbabi, who was riding a motorcycle. The defendant maintained that he did not intend to pull over the motorcycle, but instead sought to obtain its license plate number. During the chase, the defendant did not contact law enforcement authorities, as required by the Attorney General’s vehicular pursuit policy.

Both were traveling at high speeds – at times in excess of 100 miles per hour, with the defendant following Mr. Kebbabi through several lane changes. During the encounter, the defendant’s vehicle’s lights and sirens were never activated. At the intersection of Route 206 and Jacksonville-Jobstown Road (County Road 670) in Springfield, shortly before 4:50 p.m., Mr. Kebbabi collided with an unrelated civilian vehicle that was making a left turn at the intersection, crossing Mr. Kebbabi’s lane of travel. Both Mr. Kebbabi and the unrelated civilian vehicle had the green light. Medical aid was rendered by a Springfield police officer, but Mr. Kebbabi was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the unrelated vehicle did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

The defendant’s initial encounter with Mr. Kebbabi was captured on multiple commercial surveillance videos, from which certain speed estimates were obtained as part of the fatal accident investigation. The final portion of the encounter was recorded by a municipal police officer’s mobile video recorder after the officer began following the defendant, uncertain whether Campagna was a law enforcement officer.

Today, video footage from that mobile video recorder is being released, pursuant to policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 to promote the fair, impartial, and transparent investigation of fatal police encounters. Investigators provided representatives of Mr. Kebbabi’s family an opportunity to review the recordings before their public release.

The recordings are available to view here: https://njoag.box.com/s/sjxip11du6121b38jvs9o06ohkh67int

“There is no evidence showing any lawful objective behind this pursuit. The defendant was not on duty. He never turned on his lights or sirens in an attempt to end the chase and effectuate a traffic stop of the victim,” said Attorney General Jennifer Davenport. “This was a needless and reckless high-speed chase that put not only the victim, but also every other driver on the road, in grave danger. And it ended in tragedy.”

A conviction on a fourth-degree offense carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000. By law, an officer’s conviction for an indictable offense leads to the revocation of his police license. Sentencing is scheduled for July 30, 2026.

The case was prosecuted by OPIA Deputy Attorneys General Marilyn Muller and Dustin Coolidge.

Defense Attorney:

For Campagna: Michael Robertson, Esq.

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