SJ trooper killed in I-295 crash was dad
Sean Cullen, 31, worked at the Bellmawr station
DEPTFORD - For the second time in recent months, a New Jersey State Police trooper has lost his life on a South Jersey highway.
Trooper Sean Cullen, 31, was fatally injured Monday night when he was struck by a vehicle at the scene of a car fire on Interstate 295 in West Deptford, authorities said. The Cinnaminson resident was the father of a 9-month-old son, according to state police.
LATEST: Cullen recalled as 'the best guy'
Cullen, a wrestling star at Cinnaminson High School and a collegiate All-American, was remembered as a hard worker who kept an unrelenting focus on his goals.
"From the day he stepped on campus, he wanted to be a New Jersey state trooper," said Roger Crebs, Cullen's wrestling coach at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. "He knew what he wanted to do, and he went through the different levels to accomplish it.
"That's kind of how he operated in the wrestling room,” the coach said of Cullen.
Cullen, who majored in criminal justice at Lycoming, worked as a Class II police officer in Sea Isle City and Mount Holly, where he served from April 2007 to February 2012. He was a Westampton patrolman for two years before graduating from the State Police training academy in August 2014.
Cullen had responded to an accident at milepost 23.4 on southbound 295 when he was struck around 8:15 p.m., officials said. The trooper, who sustained severe head injuries, was flown to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he was pronounced dead around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
RELATED: Dajuan Wagner's link to trooper tragedy
A 22-year-old woman who was driving the vehicle that hit the trooper stopped immediately and cooperated with investigators, state police said. The accident scene, which authorities initially said was in Deptford, included several emergency vehicles at the time the trooper was hit.
Cullen’s family members, fellow troopers and other law enforcement personnel held a vigil at the hospital. Col. Rick Fuentes, superintendent of the state police, announced the trooper's death to those gathered in the waiting room.
Law enforcement response to trooper death
"The New Jersey State Police family is mourning the death of one of our troopers," the organization said in a statement.
A flag flew at half-staff outside the Bellmawr station Tuesday.
Cullen was assigned to Troop A, where he served at both the Bellmawr and Buena Vista stations.
Gov. Chris Christie said the trooper's death "reminds us how fragile life truly is and the dangers police officers face daily on the job."
"Trooper Cullen gave his life in the line of duty and in service to others," said State Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney, D-Gloucester.
New Jersey law requires motorists to slow down and move over when approaching emergency crews on roadways. Learn more about Move Over New Jersey here.
The trooper was born in Dublin, Ireland, and came to this country as a child, state police said.
Cullen was a wrestling standout at Cinnaminson High, a three-time District 26 champion who won 103 matches for the Pirates.
He built a 94-30 record at Lycoming, ranking eighth in school history for wins when he graduated in 2007. He ranked ninth overall with 26 pins.
Crebs noted Cullen was a three-time NCAA qualifier who came close to his goal of a national title, taking sixth place in the NCAA championships in 2005. He was inducted into Lycoming's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
"He knew the direction he wanted," the coach said.
In addition to his son, Cullen is survived by a fiancee, his parents, two brothers and a sister, according to state police. Their names were not available.
The accident remains under investigation and no charges or tickets had been filed by Tuesday afternoon.
This is the second time in less than three months that a New Jersey State Police trooper has lost his life on duty in South Jersey.
Trooper Eli McCarson, a 30-year-old rookie from Gloucester County, died Dec. 17 when his patrol car hit a pole off a highway in Quinton, Salem County.
Two other troopers died in separate crashes within the past year.
Glenny Almonte, 28, of Jersey City died in an off-duty accident on the New Jersey Turnpike on June 19. Anthony Raspa, 24, of Highland Park died May 30 when his patrol car struck a deer on Interstate 95 in Upper Freehold, Monmouth County.