Man Pens Letter Praising NJ Trooper After Getting Speeding Ticket
TRENTON, NJ (CBS) – Not many people are happy, let alone complimentary, after receiving a speeding ticket.
But one man took the time to write a letter to New Jersey State Police praising the trooper who wrote him a speeding ticket.
The letter reads in part: Truth be told, I was not paying attention to my speed and I passed an unmarked car – unmarked but with a TPA license plate so it was obviously a trooper.
After passing the trooper he put on his lights and I immediately pulled over. He approached my car on the passenger's side where I provided him with my license, registration and insurance card. He explained almost immediately that I was speeding and told me what his speed was when I passed him. Needless to say I was pretty embarrassed. I've driven 100,000 miles a year for the past ten years and haven't been stopped for at least 15 years. I usually pay pretty close attention to what I'm doing. Needless to say I wasn't happy with myself.'
What happened next is what caused the driver to see the traffic stop in a new light.
"When the trooper returned his actions are what impressed me the most. He could have easily handed me the summons and walked away. But he didn't --- he said, "Truthfully, we're not out here to only give out tickets but I'm not sure if you are aware or not – but we've had some recent fatal accidents on this part of the Parkway and we're really trying to get people to slow down – to save lives."
"He then added some other conversation that he was not obligated to do – normally after getting a summons you don't really feel like making conversation – but that wasn't case here. It was pretty obvious that this trooper was really interested in safe driving on the Parkway. Perhaps it was the sincerity of his words."
The driver, Dave Coskey, says the trooper finished by asking him to use the shoulder as an acceleration lane so the trooper could drive behind him and make it safe for him to re-enter the highway.
"After having some time to reflect on our interaction I was just very impressed with his entire interaction. He seemed like a pretty young guy and it appeared that his comments and suggestions were nothing but sincere. I was really impressed with how he presented himself. I realize that the NJSP are trained to be professional – but I never expected to be blown away by an interaction with a trooper after being stopped."
Coskey ended his letter by saying, "I'm not sure how often you hear from someone looking to compliment a trooper who issued a summons – but that's the case here. My opinion is that Trooper 7515 is a great reflection of the NJSP."
New Jersey State Police say the trooper is adamant about remaining anonymous.
"He told us that he wants no recognition for just doing his job. Well, he's doing a phenomenal job!"
