YARMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - An emotional tribute played out in Yarmouth Wednesday as first responders joined family members outside the state police barracks in town to dedicate a memorial to fallen state trooper Ellen Engelhardt.
Engelhardt had been on patrol and parked on the side of the road in July of 2003 when she was hit by a drunk driver. Engelhardt suffered severe brain injuries that left her unable to speak or communicate. She died eight years later.
“I’ll never forget the call I received from Rick on July 26, 2003 that mom had been severely injured in a car crash and was being Medflighted to Boston,” said Engelhardt’s daughter, Lora Tedeman. “It seemed as if time stood still.”
More than 20 years after the crash, Engelhardt’s friends and family said her kindness and strength were inspirational.
“Ellen was a worker,” said Massachusetts State Police Colonel John Mawn Jr. “She led quietly by example and it was a solid example.”
“There was a kindness about Ellen that showed in her smile and the twinkle of her eye, both of which are captured in this beautiful memorial,” Mawn Jr. continued.
Engelhardt served as a trooper for nearly 23 years.
“Today we remember her as a symbol of strength and resilience,” said Patrick McNamara, the president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts. “May her memory inspire us to continue our mission of protecting and serving the people of the Commonwealth.”
Engelhardt’s colleagues gave her a salute and a flyover Wednesday, all in a promise that her legacy will live on.
“I am hopeful that those of us, men and women, who experienced the privilege of Ellen’s example of courage, commitment, sacrifice and service have lived our lives and careers in a way that would make Ellen proud,” said Mawn Jr.
The driver who hit Engelhardt’s patrol car was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for the initial crash. After Engelhardt’s passing, he was charged with vehicular homicide and given probation.
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