Hundreds Of Mourners Attend Funeral Of Bergen County Officer Killed Last Week

Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral on Tuesday of a Northern New Jersey police officer who was killed in the line of duty.

Governor Chris Christie, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli and dozens of police officers from several townships across the state were among the crowd that packed St. Luke's Church in Ho-Ho-Kus, where services were held for Waldwick Officer Christopher Goodell, 32.

Goodell was checking radar on the shoulder of Route 17 near Bergen Avenue early last Thursday when a tractor trailer struck his unmarked and unlit patrol car. Authorities allege that there was no evidence after an accident investigation to show that the truck's driver, Ryon Cumberbatch, 28, of New York, had attempted to brake before he struck the officer. Cumberbatch was charged with second degree vehicular homicide, to which he pleaded not guilty Monday at Bergen County Central Municipal Court in Hacksenack.

Among the family, friends, and colleagues who spoke at Goodell's funeral was his sister, Nicole Priestner.

"Christopher, you were my little brother, but there wasn't anything little about you," she said, according to greenfieldreporter.com.

A five-year veteran of the force, Goodell was recently engaged and was a Marine Corps veteran.

Read more here: http://wyckoff.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/update-arrest-made-in-fatal-collision-that-killed-...