Newark police sergeant charged with vehicular homicide in crash that killed traffic officer
Sgt. Victor Ortiz was charged Thursday with vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter. He was taken to the Essex County Jail.
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An off-duty Newark police sergeant accused of striking and killing a traffic control officer while driving three weeks ago has been charged.
Sgt. Victor Ortiz was charged Thursday with vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter. He was taken to the Essex County Jail.
The family of 53-year-old Jairo Rodriguez - the traffic control officer struck and killed on the job three weeks prior outside the Prudential Center - says Thursday is a step toward justice.
“This is just step one,” said Rodriguez’s nephew, Mase Hernandez. “It took 21 days to get justice where we are at right now. Our family has not been able to grieve since that day. Today, we will have some peace to start to grieve.”
Rodriguez worked for the Department of Public Safety for three years. Before that, he worked at the Prudential Center, which became his territory as a traffic control officer. There is now a memorial in place along Broad and Lafayette Streets outside the arena.
The family says key details of the accident remain unclear.
“We don't know what really happened that night, so we are hoping that justice is served correctly,” Hernandez said. “He killed a husband, a father, a grandfather and a person that was loved by many in the city of Newark.”
The family’s attorney says the manslaughter charge is aggravated because Ortiz was driving under the influence. That carries the potential for decades in prison.
