A touching roadside memorial for a New Jersey state trooper killed during a traffic stop was just wrecked by a DUI driver, authorities say.
David Neufield, 38, was nabbed after police said he ran off the road and barreled into the memorial established for Trooper Thomas Hanratty, who was killed at the same spot by a speeding motorist April 2, 1992.
An alleged DUI driver recently ran over a memorial for New Jersey State Trooper Thomas Hanratty, who was killed by an errant motorist at the location in 1992. New Jersey State Police/Facebook
Hanratty, 24, was returning to his car after a traffic stop on April 2, 1992, when he was struck and killed by a passing vehicle. New Jersey State Police/Facebook“The crash caused significant damage to the Trooper Hanratty memorial, a solemn reminder of the daily dangers our troopers face while serving and protecting the public,” the department said on Facebook.
“This incident underscores the important of safe and sober driving on our roadways.”
State police said Neufield was driving on Interstate 78 in Union County around 2 p.m. on Aug. 31 when his vehicle veered off the roadway and into the memorial.
Troopers and Summit Fire Department crews responded to the scene and transported Neufield to a nearby hospital, where he was charged with driving under the influence and drug possession.
Neufield suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The trooper’s roadside memorial was wrecked. New Jersey State Police/FacebookHanratty, 24, had been a member of the New Jersey State Police Department for just over three years when he was killed, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
The young cop had conducted a routine traffic stop and was returning to his car when he was hit.
