A New York police officer got in a car crash on the same day of his wedding and ultimately died, along with one of his friends.
The groom and his friend, both of whom were NYPD officers, were killed in a single-car crash after leaving the wedding in Ulster County late Sunday night, May 20, reported Pix 11.
The crash took place just before 11:30 p.m., police officers said.
John Martinez, 39, is believed to have been driving a rented 2018 Maserati, with groom Michael Colangelo, 31, riding in the passenger seat.
The vehicle veered off the road and struck a large tree, causing it to overturn and come to rest on its roof. Both men were partially ejected and police officers said neither appeared to be wearing a seatbelt.
A third man in the vehicle, riding in the back seat and wearing a seatbelt, survived the crash but suffered a head injury.
The trio was about one mile from the place where Colangelo’s wedding took place. The venue, the Full Moon Resort, often hosts people for the night.
Retweeted People (@people):
Police Officer Killed on His Wedding Day Alongside NYPD Detective in Horror Crash https://t.co/XWnoFjuLWA https://t.co/XWnoFjuLWA
— Mary Moss (@MsMaryMoss) May 22, 2018
Police officers and witnesses told the New York Post that the men were speeding back and forth on the country road before the crash.
“The road comes up and banks to the left, they lost contact and kept going straight off the right side of the road. They hit that big maple there, flipped in the air 75 to 100 feet [away] and landed upside down over here in the river,” said Gregory Zaff, 72, who ran out while his wife, Susie, called 911.
“It was terrible. I ran down and it was a four-door Maserati upside down, the entire roof was crushed.”
The cause of the crash is not yet known but police officers said that Martinez was likely speeding on the narrow, winding road; the speed limit is 40 mph in the area, while the turn where they went off has a 20 mph sign posted.
Police officers said Colangelo’s widow was “grief-stricken” and in mourning. An autopsy is planned for both men to determine if alcohol played a factor in the crash.
Martinez worked with the NYPD’s 84 Precinct Detective Squad while Colangelo worked with the NYPD’s Canine Unit.
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