Woodbridge Police Officer Killed In Off-Duty Crash

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Woodbridge Police Officer Michael Tenpenny, 31, was killed in a car crash Tuesday night.

The crash occurred in Carteret, and Tenpenny was not on duty at the time of the crash, said Woodbridge Police Director Joseph Nisky.

At 10:09 p.m., the Carteret Police Dept. received a 911 call of a serious motor vehicle accident on Peter J. Sica Industrial Highway near Bristol Station Court. There were two cars involved, a tractor trailer and a truck driven by Tenpenny, said a spokeswoman for the Middlesex County prosecutor.

There were no criminal charges filed in the crash, which remains under investigation at this time by Carteret Police and the county prosecutor.

Tenpenny was a seven-year veteran of the Woodbridge Police Dept. and he was first hired in 2018. He was assigned to the Radio Patrol Division. His age was not given by the police department.

Tenpenny is mourned as a hard-working police officer who was dedicated to his job. In 2022, he was named WPD Officer of the First Quarter for overall excellence responding to 530 service calls, and he issued traffic summonses, enforced outstanding arrest warrants and arrested those accused of crimes.

“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of Woodbridge Police Officer Michael Tenpenny who tragically passed away last night following a devastating motor vehicle crash," said Nisky. "Officer Tenpenny served our community with unwavering dedication, courage and heart. His absence leaves a void that cannot be filled, and our hearts are heavy as we hold his family, friends and fellow officers in our thoughts. May his service be remembered, and may he rest in peace."