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Squad cars display the names of fallen New Smyrna Beach police |
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Today is a day of personal reflection for acting Sgt. Brian Page of the New Smyrna Beach police force.
Three years ago today, fellow police officer Roy Nelson and his K-9 partner, were tragically killed in a car crash while responding to a burglary call at 11:46 p.m.
Page was the first on scene to the aid of the fallen officer as they shared their last private words together, words that to this day, Page prefers to keep to himself.
"It is hard to say how I feel," the 32-year-old Page said in a brief interview last night while he was on patrol. "I was actually the first one on the scene."
Nelson, 36, left behind his wife, Angie, and two daughters, Samantha, 15, and Sabrina, 4.
He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after he swerved to miss a white pick-up truck on the South Causeway Bridge that drove into his path from Richmond Drive, causing his squad car to slam into the guardrail and flip. He didn't have his seatbelt on, according to the crash report.
The driver of the pick up, Gordon Camp of New Smyrna Beach, never stopped, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, which recommended felony charges of leaving the scene of an accident.
However, in March 2007, the office of State Attorney John Tanner dismissed the charge, saying the officer was driving in excess of 115 mph without lights or sirens activated and there was insufficient evidence to show Camp even knew the squad car had crashed.
Nelson's widow filed a wrongful death suit against Camp shortly after the fatal crash, but nothing has come of it so far.
Nelson had been with the police force seven years. He and his loyal dog, Ceasar, were the first New Smyrna Beach police personnel killed in the line of duty.
Through the passage of time, the emotional pain has eased for Page and many of the other 50-plus officers, Page said, adding stoically, "Hell never be forgotten. I think about him everyday."
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Th emblem of remembrance is affixed to all of the NSB squad cars. |
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