Marlboro Officers Tapped For Award For Pulling Teen From Car Fire

MARLBORO, NJ – Five Marlboro Township law enforcement members have been nominated for a prestigious award for performing a lifesaving rescue during a vehicle collision and fire last summer.

Police Chief Peter J. Pezzullo recently nominated a lieutenant and four officers for the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police’s prestigious Valor Award for saving the life of a 17- year-old young woman trapped in the back seat of a vehicle last June.

Chief Pezzullo credited Lt. John Loyer and Officers Donna Gonzalez, Adam Mattei, Colin Murray and Robert Kelly with rescuing the teen, a 17-year-old resident of Freehold, who trapped in a GMC Envoy with its front end on fire following a June 15, 2020 collision on Conover Road.

The victim was seated in the back seat of the Envoy when she was partially ejected from the vehicle, causing her to become pinned between the two cars during the collision. Officers on the scene attempted to push the two cars apart with little success as the fire started to spread within the Envoy.

While officers tried to extinguish the vehicle fire, Officer Gonzalez and Ptlm. Kelly used a patrol vehicle to push the two two cars apart, which successfully freed the female. Moments later, the Envoy was engulfed in flames, according to the Marlboro Police Department. The victim was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center with serious internal injuries and was listed in critical but stable condition.

The vehicle fire was later extinguished by the Morganville Fire Department. Chief Pezzullo later commended the officers for their "swift certainty" and "sound judgement."

The officers are among 33 nominees from nine police departments in line for this year’s Valor Awards, which will be presented at the 109th Conference and Police Security Exposition from Aug. 23 to 26 in Atlantic City.

The department’s nomination says “swift, courageous actions” by these five officers saved the life of the unconscious female passenger just moments before the damaged SUV burst into flames.

Lt. Loyer is a 30-year police veteran; Officer Gonzalez is a former Monmouth County sheriff’s officer, hired 11 years ago; Officer Mattei is a six-year veteran; Officer Murray worked in Marlboro for three years while Officer Kelly has been with the department for more than a year.

The NJSACOP Valor Award was established in 2000 to recognize New Jersey police officers and private citizens who demonstrate exceptional heroism and commitment to their profession, their law enforcement agency and to the public they serve. For more information about the award, visit NJSACOP.