Driver charged after damaging NJ State Police roadside memorial

SUMMIT — A I-78 roadside memorial to a state trooper killed in the line of duty was damaged by a driver last month.

David Neufield, 38, of Berkeley Heights, crashed into the memorial to Trooper Thomas Hanratty along the westbound lanes near Exit 45 (Route 527) in Summit around 2 p.m. on Aug. 31

State Police said the crash caused "significant damage" to the stone memorial and plaque in the area where Hanratty was fatally struck during a traffic stop in 1992.

The stone was pushed out of its spot and the hedges on one side are nearly gone.

A sign that reads "gone but not forgotten" was bent.

State Police said the memorial serves as "a solemn reminder of the daily dangers our troopers face while serving and protecting the public. This incident underscores the importance of safe and sober driving on our roadways."

ALSO READ: On threat closes schools in two NJ districts, teens charged

Graduates of the 165th New Jersey State Police Academy class in April restored the memorial to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the day Hanratty was struck while walking back to his troop car during the stop.

Hanratty, of Elizabeth, was 24 when he was killed and had served with State Police for three years. He was thrown onto the hood of a Hyundai sedan that struck him. The car kept going 400 feet before he fell onto the shoulder of the road. The trooper suffered massive head trauma and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

State Police on Monday morning did not respond to New Jersey 101.5's inquiry about when the memorial would be repaired.

ALSO READ: NJ scam alert — sender has been following your 'pathetic life'