Posted on 07/17/2014 7:09:00 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
WALDWICK, N.J. (AP) - A tractor-trailer rear-ended an unmarked police car early Thursday, killing a Waldwick officer, the second New Jersey officer to die in the line of duty this week.
Officer Christopher Goodell, 32, was operating radar to check for speeders on Route 17 at about 1:30 a.m. when a truck went onto the shoulder of the road and struck the parked police car at the Bergen Avenue intersection, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said. The truck pushed the car into a retaining wall.
Goodell, who grew up in the northern New Jersey town and was a Marine Corps veteran, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was a five-year veteran of the police force.
(Excerpt) Read more at wbay.com ...
I feel bad for the guy’s family, but speed traps are just wrong.
At least he died doing something he loved.
Was a gang-banger driving the truck?
I don’t see how this makes the news (other than local). 50,000 people a year die in auto accidents...
P.D.’s use a productivity model. If you have time for leaning you should be cleaning.
I have seen these guys causing more problems than they solve.
The trucker needs to be severely punished and permanently removed from the cab. My condolences to the family of this officer.
Should have been out patrolling high crime areas instead of doing the traffic revenue collectors in blue uniforms bit.
I feel much less safe today with one fewer "radar and traffic officer" on (the side of) the road.
Snarky, police hating comments here are disgusting and reflect poorly on those making them. Rest in peace young hero and may your family find satisfaction and comfort in your dedication to your country and community.
The police state of NJ has the highest armed highway robber density in the Country Formerly Known as America. They use mostly unmarked cars else the populace would be alarmed at their numbers. At least setting up revenue traps keeps them from driving like maniacs while chatting on their cell phones, and using canine family members for target practice.
Fine, here is an assessment free of snark. The cop, instead of policing a neighborhood or using visibile presence to reduce crime was sitting in an unmarked car (dark in color by my experience) on the side of a highway for the purpose of raising revenue for the state. He created an unsafe condition which led to his death. Placing revenue for the department above motorist safety are not the actions of a hero and perhaps if this were not a recurrent theme in policing you would see a few less dry eyes on the forum.
I wonder if anything has come from the call issued by the Bloods street gang to assassinate New Jersey police officers?
It started when a blood was killing a cop, when another cop shot the blood. So the gang has called for an East coast convention of bloods to go to New Jersey and kill police.
Every highway is plastered with signs warning us that the berms and medians are only for use by emergency vehicles. Why then is it acceptable to deliberately park a vehicle, many times deliberately concealing it, in those areas? Never ever use the side of the highway even if it means shredding a tire to get to the off ramp.
It is safer to take the first exit before pulling over for the HP. Getting a ticket is not an emergency.
Locally a cop was killed giving a ticket in the “V” of two highways, the spot were people swerve at the last minute when they have nearly missed their turn. The paper said “hero” and “tragedy” but it was avoidable and stupid.
Nothing heroic about parking on a shoulder in the dark and getting run down.
Look, Police are intrusive and overly aggressive. Traffic enforcement efforts are often like chemo, deadly to the cancer and to the host body.
Police need to take a holistic approach to traffic safety. Ask the question, is what I am doing causing more problems than solving?
The cop was sitting on the side of a road at 0130, in the dark, not using lights, running radar? And they are supposed to be the authority on safety that we are supposed to listen to?
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