Bridge Named In Honor Of Fallen Officer Aaron Pelletier
- Philip Thibodeau
- Sep 7
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 8
Family, friends, fellow officers, and state and town officials gathered Friday afternoon on Jude Lane to dedicate the bridge spanning I-84 to the late Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier, who passed away on May 30, 2024, after being hit by a reckless driver.
The dedication ceremony was announced on short notice. Nevertheless, more than a hundred people turned out to witness it.
Lieutenant Governor Susan Byziewicz opened by recognizing Pelletier’s dedication and the virtues of a family man whose life was cut short by crime:
Garrett Eucalitto, the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, renewed the state’s commitment to ensuring tragedies of this sort do not repeat.
Next, Ronnell Higgins, the Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, added to the tributes a reminder of the threat reckless drivers pose.
State Police Colonel Daniel Loughman praised Trooper Pelletier’s honor and service, promising that the sacrifice he made would never be forgotten:
The Pelletier family accepted hugs, tributes, and words of comfort from attendees. At the end of the ceremony, as the memorial sign was unveiled, the emotions of the crowd became audible.
Legislation to rename the bridge was introduced, on the suggestion of a local resident, by 81st District Representative Christopher Poulos.
In April, the person responsible for Pelletier's death, Alex Oyola-Sanchez, pled guilty to first-degree manslaughter. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
The site of the ceremony lay not far from the spot on I-84 where the tragedy occurred.
As officials spoke, the sound of cars, trucks, and emergency vehicles racing by below served as a reminder of the dangers traffic officers face while performing their jobs.
Each day the bridge, which is six decades old, conveys thousands of people safely over the loud highway.
Each day hundreds of thousands of drivers pass beneath it.
It will henceforth be known as the State Trooper First Class Aaron M. Pelletier Memorial Bridge.
