UPDATED: Man, 23, Who Died in Motorcycle Chase Was Riding Bike Stolen in 2008

UPDATED: State police have since said that Coleman was riding a stolen motorcycle which had been reported stolen in 2008.

Whatever the circumstances surrounding David F. Coleman Jr.'s death on an entrance ramp onto Interstate 287 in Bedminster on Tuesday morning, the man, a high school football player, appeared to be cherished by his family who saw in him a bright future.

New Jersey State Police Tuesday morning when he was thrown from an allegedly stolen motorcycle after hitting a guardrail on the ramp connecting I-78 West with I-287 North. The crash followed a 20-mile high-speed chase involving multiple police agencies, including Bernards Township, police said.

Pages from the 2006 Mirror — the yearbook for Columbia High School, which serves Maplewood and South Orange — show pictures of Coleman as an infant, as a dapper graduate and as a player for the high schools Cougars football team. His parents and an aunt and uncle purchased ads to congratulate him on his high school graduation.

In one full-page testimonial, Coleman's parents wrote, "You've accomplished so much these past years. But this isn't the end — in fact; it's really a whole new beginning.... This is your time to try your wings and fly." They then offered a prayer for him. Below that, his sister Daniece wrote, "You have made me so proud. Keep on making me proud. But most important, make yourself proud."

On page 352, a smaller ad from Coleman's aunt, uncle and cousins states: "We are so proud of your accomplishments and all your endeavors to achieve your goal."