Off-duty NJ police officer dies in Pennsylvania ATV crash

LAKE COMO, Pa. (AP) -- Police say a northern New Jersey police officer was killed in northeastern Pennsylvania when his all-terrain vehicle crashed into a boulder.

Authorities say 31-year-old Christopher Birch died Monday. The Midland Park police officer was driving a 2012 Suzuki King Quad 750 near his family's vacation home in Buckingham Township when he failed to negotiate a left turn and crashed. State police say he was wearing a helmet, but was driving too fast for the conditions.

The Wyckoff resident had been a police officer since January 2007. He previously was a special police officer in North Haledon.

Midland Park Acting Chief Michael Powderley says Birch was a traffic officer and field training officer. He says Birch was one of the department's "good guys."

He was married in April.

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