Nassau Police Officer Dies After Highway Crash: MyFoxNY.com
A Nassau County cop was killed Friday night during a routine traffic stop on the Long Island Expressway when a car struck his parked cruiser from behind, cops said.
Michael J. Califano, 44, a 13-year veteran of the force, was killed in the accident near exit 39 in Old Westbury around 11 p.m. Friday, police said.
Arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide was John Kaley, 25, of New Britain, Conn. He also faces three counts of assault for injuring three others in the collision.
Kaley smashed his truck into the parked police car Califano was in, cops said, propelling the cruiser under a stopped box truck. Police suspect he fell asleep at the wheel.
First responders freed Califano from the crumpled metal, but he died at the hospital hours later. Nassau County Police Benevolent Association head James Carver said the car looked like "a sardine can that opened up."
"I don't think he had any chance," he said.
Kaley was set to be arraigned Saturday afternoon in Hempstead District Court. Cops said yesterday Kaley had two reckless driving citations in 2010.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey said Califano stopped his cruiser in a "clearly safe location well off the roadway." Witnesses told cops they saw the truck swerving in and out of lanes before the crash.
Califano leaves behind a wife and three young boys, said Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano.
"It is very difficult to see a family in pain, and they are indeed in a lot of pain, along with their friends and police officers that serve Nassau County," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment