The Putnam-born New York State Trooper was injured in an upstate crash

by Junna Base November 11, 2024

A state trooper from Mahopac remains hospitalized after he was struck by a passing vehicle and seriously injured at a rest stop in Colonie on Nov. 2.

New York State Police said Mahopac resident Nicholas Abbondola was responding to a routine traffic stop involving a towed vehicle on southbound I-87 in Colonie on Saturday, Nov. 2, when he was spotted by was struck by a passing vehicle: 30 p.m

Police said Abbondola and Brett M. Dempsey, 29, a tow truck driver from Clifton Park, were struck by a pickup truck as they stood in front of their respective vehicles and were loading the vehicle onto the truck. Dempsey suffered some serious injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation.

Abbondola suffered serious injuries, including multiple fractures and other injuries that required surgery. He joined the State Police in October 2023 and was assigned to Troop G in Latham.

The pickup truck driver, identified as Jason J. Guerin, 40, of Malta, stopped and remained at the scene after the crash where he was taken into custody.

Driver charged with vehicle assault in police crash

Guerin was charged with first-degree aggravated vehicular assault, second-degree aggravated assault, driving under the influence and several other traffic law violations. State police said he had previous drunken driving convictions in the past decade.

Guerin was arraigned Nov. 3 in Colonie City Court and remanded to the Albany County Correctional Facility without bail.

State police said Abbondola will likely require additional surgeries and extensive rehabilitation to recover. Colonie community members and state troopers are raising money for the recovery of Abbondola and Dempsey.

The Signal 30 NYS Troopers Benefit Fund has launched a fundraiser to support Abbondola and his family with his rehabilitation, while friends of Dempsey have started a GoFundMe fundraiser for his recovery and hospital bills. Colonie-area firefighters hosted a charity football game Saturday to raise money for the families of the two victims.

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