NJ cop hit by alleged drunk driver still in hospital; here’s how you can help

A week after his cruiser was hit by a SUV driven by a drunk woman with three kids in the car, Franklin Township Officer Clifford Trovilla remains in the hospital, in serious pain, a colleague said.

Franklin Police Sgt. Brian Zimmer said Trovilla suffered two broken wrists, a broken ankle, a broken tailbone and a concussion in the crash. He's continuing to recover from a surgery on Wednesday.

Trovilla's alert, but "they're just trying to keep him comfortable," Zimmer said. He described Trovilla's recovery as "slow, but ongoing. We're just waiting to see how long until he's able to leave the hospital and start his recovery.

Authorities say Angela Feaster of Glassboro ran a stop sign at the intersection of Route 40 and Tuckahoe Road around 8:30 p.m. Oct. 16, pushing Trovilla's cruiser 50 yards down the the Harding Highway and into the woods.

Trovillo struck a tree, but two good Samartians were able to remove him from his patrol vehicle "possibly saving him from further injuries," a fellow officer, Stephen Casamassima, wrote in on an online fundraiser to support Trovilla.

Trovillo was flown by helicopter to Cooper University Hospital Trauma Center for his injuries.

He'd been on his second day back to work after being out for nearly a year with a broken elbow due falling on ice while coaching his son's ice hockey team, Casamassima wrote.

"As you can imagine the past year has been a tough time for Cliff, his wife and thier two sons. Due to his injuries over the past year, Cliff's wife has not been able to work in order to help take care of him. As a department we are trying to take as much mental, physical and financial stress off of Cliff as possible in this tough time for his family," he wrote on the fundraiser page.

Trovillo has been with the Franklin Township Police Department for 13 years and is currently assigned to the K9 division with his partner, Ceno. The K9 was not on patrol with him on the night of the accident, police said.

"As one of Cliff's co-workers, I wish there was a better way to not only express how good of a police officer Cliff is, but how great of an overall guy he is. He has been there countless times for different members of our police department in times of need, as well as for multiple members of our community," Casamassima wrote.

Feaster was charged with driving while intoxicated, three counts of child endangerment and assault by auto. She was hospitalized for a broken ankle, the report said. The condition of the children was not known.

One of her children was transported to Cooper with possible internal injuries, but Zimmer said he did not have any update on the family's status.

Trovilla has received an "overwhelming amount of support," with cards and well-wishes flowing into the station, Zimmer said. "Everyone's pretty much pulling together," he said.

But the biggest thing people can do to support Trovilla, Zimmer said, is contribute to the GoFundMe page. As of Friday at noon, it had collected about $2,700.