Roll of Honor
Incident
Trooper Arthur Abagnale, Trooper Joseph DeFrino, and Trooper Milan Simcak were killed in an automobile accident on the New Jersey Turnpike near the Passaic River Bridge in Kearny. The troopers were accompanying a dump truck, with red lights flashing and traveling at 15- 20 miles an hour when a bus rounded a curve, hit a car, and then rolled onto the cruiser and pushed it into the truck. The driver of the bus stated that his brakes failed. The troopers were pronounced dead at the scene. Trooper Abagnale was a United States Marine Corps veteran and had served with the New Jersey State Police for 16 months.
Survivors
He was survived by his father, stepbrother, and fiancee.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-314D85C7- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Arthur is one person.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Trooper Abagnale gave the New Jersey State Police 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the people of New Jersey, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Arthur J. Abagnale Jr. served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.
Trooper Arthur J. Abagnale Jr. is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In NJ, 258 of 646 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.9% of this state's fallen. That is 39.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At New Jersey State Police, 53 of 84 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 63.1% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Arthur J. Abagnale Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Arthur J. Abagnale Jr. Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Arthur J. Abagnale Jr. is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Military Service
Arthur J. Abagnale Jr. served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.
Visit Arthur J. Abagnale Jr.’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
83 officers from New Jersey State Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
