2 NYPD officers from LI, including groom on wedding night, killed in crash

<p>Investigators say the crash happened about a mile from the reception venue.</p>

News 12 Staff

May 21, 2018, 2:01 PM

Updated 2,172 days ago

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2 NYPD officers from LI, including groom on wedding night, killed in crash
Two NYPD officers from Long Island were killed in an upstate crash Sunday night, hours after one of the officers had celebrated his wedding.
It happened around 11:30 p.m. Sunday in the town of Shandaken, in Ulster County. State police say the officers were in a black 2018 Maserati when the car left the roadway, struck a large tree and overturned.
The victims have been identified as 39-year-old NYPD Detective John Martinez, of Hauppauge, and 31-year-old Officer Michael Colangelo, of Huntington Station. Colangelo had been married hours before the crash.
Investigators say the crash happened about a mile from the wedding reception venue, and they believe that the occupants were taking the car "out for a ride" when the crash happened.
Both Martinez and Colangelo were pronounced dead at the scene. They had worked in the 84th Precinct in Brooklyn.
A third civilian occupant in the vehicle was hospitalized with injuries that are not considered life-threatening. That person has not been identified, but officials confirmed the person is also from Long Island.
State police say they believe excessive speed may have been a factor in the crash based on the nature of the impact, although the cause remains under investigation. Police describe the crash site as a "back-country roadway" with a 40 mph speed limit.
Investigators say autopsies will be conducted for toxicology purposes.
The injured passenger was in the back seat and was wearing a seatbelt, but investigators say they believe the two officers were not wearing belts.
According to a wedding website, Colangelo and his bride were married at the Full Moon Resort in Big Indian on Valley View Road. They had been scheduled to travel to Costa Rica for their honeymoon.
Police say Colangelo’s bride was not in the car. Investigators describe her as grief-stricken.
Neighbors say the couple had moved into a home in Huntington Station and spoke often about their upcoming wedding.
Martinez leaves behind a wife and young children.


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