New Jersey State Police trooper dies in early morning crash

UPPER FREEHOLD — A 24-year-old New Jersey State Police trooper from Highland Park died early Saturday morning after his police cruiser struck a deer and veered off Interstate 195.

Anthony Raspa was a member of the 152nd New Jersey State Police Class, graduating from the academy in October 2013, according to a statement from the agency.

State Police confirmed Raspa's death in a post on its Facebook page.

Raspa was from Highland Park. His family issued the following statement:

"Today our family lost an incredible son, brother, grandson, cousin, friend and person. Anthony was a phenomenal young man with a heart of gold and a passion for life. While he is no longer physically with us, we are so grateful for the 24 years of love and loyalty we shared with him.

"Anthony was passionate about law enforcement and took great pride in being a NJ State Trooper. He will forever be in our minds and in our hearts. The family is so appreciative of all of the love and support. We ask that you respect our privacy at this time as we continue to grieve."

Raspa and a second trooper injured in the crash, Gene Hong, 29, both were based out of the Hamilton Station.

Hong was taken to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Hamilton, where he was treated for lacerations and a neck injury. He was expected to be released quickly.

'An unbelievable loss'

Raspa was a 2008 graduate of Bishop George Ahr High School in Edison, where he wrestled for four years.

"As a wrestling coach you are never going to be on the cover of Fortune 500 magazine, but when you know guys like Anthony Raspa, it's worth millions," said Bishop Ahr wrestling coach Nick Tonzola, noting Raspa frequently returned to his high school alma mater after graduating from the University of Delaware to work with young wrestlers.

"Whatever his schedule was, he was coming around once a week or whenever he was available, just to stay a part of the BGA wrestling family. It meant a lot to him. I can't even tell you how devastating this is. It's an unbelievable loss."

Bishop Ahr Athletics Director Mike Wolfthal, who has worked at the school for 42 years, said Raspa was "one of the most quality young men I have ever known."

"As an athlete, he gave everything that he had," Wolfthal said. "As a person, he gave more than that. The kid always had a smile on his face. Everybody at Bishop Ahr loved him. I would talk about Anthony forever if I could."

Wolfthal said Raspa's parents, who own Raspa Jewelers on Route 27 in Highland Park, donated and fundraised for Bishop Ahr and its wrestling program.

"They are one of the best families we've had at the school," Wolfthal said. "This is heartbreaking for me. It's a terrible loss for our wrestling program and our school."

Despite not participating in the sport until high school, Raspa transformed himself from a 5-27 wrestler as a sophomore to a district finalist and fifth-sixth place region finisher as a senior.

"He didn't miss a practice and he worked his butt off to get better," Tonzola said. "Wrestling is a hard sport. It requires discipline, courage and work ethic. Bishop Ahr kids are special kids. They are very value-oriented. Anthony embodied everything that is Bishop Ahr wrestling. He was kind and generous."

Wolfthal and Tonzola both said Raspa frequently talked about a career in law enforcement.

"His calling," Wolfthal said, "was to be a state police officer."

As a student at the University of Delaware, Raspa wrote about his relationship with Tonzola, explaining in a blog post what his coach and the sport of wrestling meant to him.

"I was a rising competitor called a 'sleeper' because I was relatively new to the sport, but I would give any veteran a good fight, and I even beat a good number of them," Raspa wrote. "When I was a senior captain, I became one of the best wrestlers in the region under my coach Nick Tonzola and at an athletic awards dinner he said something I will never forget. He told the entire high school that I was 'living proof that hard work pays off.' "

The crash

The two troopers were patrolling eastbound I-195 when their Ford Crown Victoria struck a deer, then ran off the right side of the road into trees at 12:48 a.m. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Raspa was killed in the crash, according to the statement from officials. He was taken to CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, where he was declared dead.

State Police said no more details would be released about the crash this weekend as its Fatal Accident Investigation Unit continues its work.

This is the first line-of-duty death within New Jersey State Police since James Hoopes died in 2012 after suffering a heart attack during a training session.

Trooper Marc Castellano of Howell was killed out I-195 in June 2010 after he was struck by a car while he was out of his patrol car.

Susanne Cervenka: 732-643-4229; scervenka@gannettnj.com

Greg Tufaro: gtufaro@mycentraljersey.com