Crime & Safety

Investigation Continues Into Death of NYPD Cop

Reports indicate that Suffolk Police remain unsure why Joseph Pritchard stopped his vehicle on the Long Island Expressway on Monday in Dix Hills.

Suffolk Police are continuing their investigation into the death of North Babylon resident Joseph Pritchard, a New York City policeman killed Monday in a fiery crash on the Long Island Expressway in Dix Hills.

Initial police reports indicated that Pritchard, 30, was behind the wheel of a 2008 Dodge pickup truck that was stopped in the westbound right lane of the expressway. Police are unsure why the truck was stopped.

Pritchard’s vehicle was hit by a box truck driven by Joseph Garcia, 34, of the Bronx who was treated for non-life threatening injuries. According to Newsday, the box truck is owned by Barakat Trucking in New Jersey.

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Pritchard, a member of the NYPD since 2005, worked in midtown Manhattan and attended Lindenhurst High School where he played football, according to published reports.

He continued to play football as a member of the NYPD’s football team. The New York Post reported that in May 2010, Pritchard made a key defensive play in the police department’s 17-7 win over the FDNY in the annual Fun City Bowl football game played at Hofstra University.

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“The game was sealed when Joseph Pritchard, an NYPD defensive end, stripped the ball and recovered it in the end zone,” the Post said.

Police are asking anyone with information about Monday's incident to call the Second Squad at 631-854-8252 or Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.


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