Driver charged after damaging NJ State Police roadside memorial

🚨Trooper Thomas Hanratty was struck during a traffic stop on Route 78 in 1992

🚨The memorial was damaged by an alleged drunk driver on Aug. 31

🚨It had recently been restored by a class of the New Jersey State Police Academy

SUMMIT — A Route 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."

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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.

The first steps to restoring the memorial have already started in the form of fundraising, according to State Police Sgt. Charles Marchan.

"We fully understand the importance of preserving this memorial, and we are committed to restoring it. The Troopers United Foundation, a nonprofit organization, has stepped forward to fund this project and is now accepting donations," Marchan told New Jersey 101.5.  "The support of the public is invaluable in helping us honor Trooper Hanratty's legacy and ensure this memorial remains a lasting tribute.

Donations can be made troopersunited.org/product/thomas-j-hanratty-memorial-restoration/.

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