Roll of Honor
Incident
Trooper Joseph DeFrino, Trooper Milan Simcak, and Trooper Arthur Abagnale 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 DeFrino was a United States Air Force veteran and had served with the New Jersey State Police for three years.
Survivors
He was survived by his parents, two sisters, and fiancee.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-750B0A90- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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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 DeFrino gave the New Jersey State Police 3 years.
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
Joseph Paul DeFrino served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Trooper Joseph Paul DeFrino is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 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 8.9 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
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. Joseph Paul DeFrino's cause is highlighted.
How Joseph Paul DeFrino Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Joseph Paul DeFrino is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
83 officers from New Jersey State Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
