TRENTON – Senators Joseph V. Doria, Jr. and Bernard F. Kenny, Jr. welcomed today the Governor’s signature of their resolution to rename the Lincoln Highway Bridge as the “Shawn Carson and Robert Nguyen Memorial Bridge” in honor of the two Jersey City police officers who died when their patrol car fell off the bridge on Christmas Day in 2005.
“Officers Carson and Nguyen were true heroes who gave their lives doing what they loved to do – protecting others from the unforeseen dangers of world,” said Senator Doria, D-Hudson. “A year and a half ago we mourned the tragic loss of these two men, but today we continue in celebrating their lives and honoring their memory.”
Shawn Carson was a 16-year veteran of the Department and a decorated officer who received two commendations, four Excellent Police Service Awards and a World Trade Center Award. Robert Nguyen had served with the Department for six years and had distinguished himself by receiving the World Trade Center Award, a unit citation as a member of the Special Investigations Unit and two Excellent Police Service Awards.
“From this day forward, the ‘Shawn Carson and Robert Nguyen Memorial Bridge’ will stand as a monument to the sacrifice made by these two men and their families. There are countless acts of unsung heroism by New Jersey’s police officers performed everyday, and tributes such as the renaming of this bridge serve to honor all of these acts,” added Senator Kenny, D-Hudson.
Police said, the two men, both members of the department’s elite Emergency Services Unit, were dispatched to the Lincoln Highway Bridge to alert motorists driving in the poor weather conditions that there were broken safety barriers on the bridge connecting Jersey City with Kearny. After setting up flares on the Kearny side of the bridge, they set to return to Jersey City when, without warning, the bridge was opened to allow a boat to pass, according to official reports. Officers Carson and Nguyen both died when their patrol car plunged into the Hackensack River below.
The resolution, SJR-51. also authorizes the Department of Transportation to erect appropriate signs bearing the new name of the bridge.