The editorial “A Death in the Family” on the death of Nassau County Police Officer Joseph Olivieri erroneously stated that Olivieri had a blood alcohol content of .09. The sentence should have referred to James Ryan, the driver who allegedly instigated the fatal crash. Blank Slate Media sincerely regrets the error.
When we think of the dangers that Nassau County Police Officers face, we tend to think of the times when a police officer pulls his or her weapon to arrest a robber or drug dealer.
But, fortunately, such occasions are rare.
Highway Patrol Officer Joseph Olivieri was killed last week doing what is a routine and very dangerous task. He was fatally struck by an SUV while attending to a driver whose car had crashed on the Long Island Expressway.
This tragedy shows how dangerous it is when a police officer goes to the aid of a driver stuck in the middle of a busy highway. It doesn’t matter if the car has been involved in an accident, has a flat tire or has just run out of gas, the police officer’s duty is to get that driver to safety.
The 43-year-old officer, a 19-year police veteran, was on duty last Thursday around 4:45 a.m. when the accident occurred. A Toyota Camry and BMW were involved in an accident near Exit 35. The BMW pulled over, the driver of the Camry, 25-year-old James Ryan reportedly did not.
The Camry then struck a Honda Civic and was left stranded in the middle of the highway. Olivieri parked his car and crossed the highway to assist the driver. It’s hard to imagine a more dangerous situation for both the driver and the police officer, especially at that time in the morning.
A driver of a Cadillac Escalade struck the Camry and Olivieri.
Ryan was arrested and faces vehicular manslaughter, DWI and other charges. His attorney said last week that it wasn’t Ryan but the driver of Escalade who killed Olivieri. But it was Ryan, with a blood alcohol content of .09, who allegedly set these events in motion. He will be held accountable for this tragedy and rightly so.
Olivieri was described as a “cop’s cop” and his passing was called “a death in the family.”
Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano ordered flags to half-staff. “Police Officer Olivieri’s dedication to keeping Nassau County safe deserves the highest recognition and sincere gratitude of our residents,” he said.
Olivieri leaves behind a 19-year-old son, Daniel, 21-year-old daughter, Amanda. We hope that they will take some comfort knowing that their father was a hero who died trying to save another man’s life.
James Carver, president of the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association, said working as a highway patrol officer is “probably one of the most dangerous things that we do on a daily basis. [The public thinks] that because this is Nassau County, not much happens. But in the middle of the night he’s out there assisting people, helping them, and this accident happens.”
We trust that the police department will examine the details of this tragedy to see what, if anything, can be done to provide greater safety for the members of the Highway Patrol.
