What you should know
- The driver involved in a traffic collision that resulted in the death of an off-duty officer from a New Jersey police department did not have a valid license, according to local prosecutors.
- The officer, later identified as Morton Otundo, 40, was driving a Yamaha motorcycle traveling east on Communipaw Avenue when he collided with a Ford Escape traveling west on the same street.
- The incident occurred shortly before 2 a.m. on July 16 in Jersey City, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office. The officer was pronounced dead at approximately 2:30 am.
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NEW JERSEY – The driver involved in a traffic collision that resulted in the death of an off-duty officer of a New Jersey police department did not have a valid license, according to local prosecutors.
The officer, later identified as Morton Otundo, 40, was driving a Yamaha motorcycle traveling east on Communipaw Avenue when he collided with a Ford Escape traveling west on the same street.
The incident occurred shortly before 2 a.m. on July 16 in Jersey City, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office. The officer was pronounced dead at approximately 2:30 am.
The driver of the Ford Escape, a 30-year-old Jersey City resident now identified as Rafael Rodríguez-Rivera, was also taken to the Jersey City Medical Center.
No charges were immediately announced. But on Monday, six months after the accident, Hudson County officials said Rodriguez-Rivera had been charged with one count of causing death while driving without a license.
Prosecutor Esther Suárez said an investigation into the crash revealed that the 30-year-old did not have a valid driver’s license. He turned himself in to authorities Monday morning and was released with a subpoena.
Information from Rodríguez-Rivera’s attorney was not immediately known. You must return to court early next month.
“Officer Otundo leaves a lasting legacy throughout the police department through his two younger brothers, who are also on the force, as well as the many officers he took the time to advise, sharing his knowledge to help to provide guidance and ultimately strengthen the department as a whole, “Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said in a statement after the accident.
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