Nearly 4 Years Later, Memories Endure Of CSP Sergeant From Woodbury Killed By Floodwaters

WOODBURY, CT — In late summer 2021, Hurricane Ida struck the southern United States and worked its way to the northeast, where remnants of the storm dropped up to nine inches of rain on Connecticut. It was the largest amount of rainfall in the state since Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

In total, 92 people were killed in this country, including one in Connecticut - Sgt. Brian Mohl of the Connecticut State Police. A 26-year veteran assigned to Troop L in Litchfield, the 50-year-old Woodbury resident was in his Ford Explorer on the midnight shift on Sept. 2, 2021. Suddenly, around 3:31 a.m., he radioed a distress call to dispatchers, saying he was on Jacks Bridge Road in his hometown and his vehicle was being swept into the raging Pomperaug River.

Around 6:25 that morning, a police helicopter from New York spotted Mohl's SUV submerged in the flooded river. An hour later, the sergeant was located downriver and airlifted via LifeStar to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of "blunt trauma of the torso," according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

A June 1995 graduate of the 105th Training Troop at the Connecticut State Police Academy, Mohlwas promoted to sergeant in May 2000. Prior to joining Troop L, he was assigned to various barracks in the state during his tenure, including Troop A in Southbury, Troop B in North Canaan, Troop G in Bridgeport and Troop H in Hartford.

Mohl, who proudly wore badge 283, became the 25th member of the state police to die in the line of duty since 1903. He was survived by his wife of 15 years, Susan, a teenage son, two stepchildren and three grandchildren.

Andrew Matthews, executive director of the Connecticut State Police Union, said prior to his memorial service, "We’re going to support his family long into the future. And in his absence, we will make sure that his wife and his children and his entire family are well taken care of. And they deserve that for him sacrificing his life for the state of Connecticut."

Meanwhile, Mohl's legacy will never be forgotten. His entry on the national Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP.org) continues to receive tributes from law enforcement officers from all parts of the country. Among them is a poignant poem posted by retired Milwaukee police officer Javier Cornejo:

"The true measure of a person is not found in the
might of their arm, their wealth or their power –
it is found in the strength of their character.
There is no greater testimony to one's character, than one's
willingness to sacrifice all, in the noble quest of
providing protection to all whom they serve."
- Author Unknown