Off-duty Suffolk County police officer killed in one-car crash in Selden
SELDEN, Suffolk County (WABC) -- An off-duty Suffolk County police officer was killed in a crash early Monday morning.
Vincent Pelliccio was driving a 2021 Jeep northbound on Nicolls Road, near West Road in Selden, at 12:40 a.m., when his vehicle left the roadway and crashed in the median.
Pelliccio, 30, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Pelliccio, a Third Precinct officer, was a member of the department since December 2014.
The Jeep was impounded for a safety check.
Pelliccio started his professional career as a teacher, but a dream to follow in his retired NYPD detective father's footsteps won out when he joined the Suffolk County Police Department on December 15, 2014. Upon graduating the Police Academy, he was assigned to the Third Precinct as a uniformed patrol officer and became a plain clothes officer in the Third Precinct Gang Task Force in March 2019. Pelliccio also served his fellow law enforcement officers as a Police Benevolent Association delegate.
The Suffolk County Police PBA said Pelliccio received the Theodore Roosevelt Association Police Award in 2019 after overcoming cancer and returning to the force.
"Suffolk County Police Officer Vincent Pelliccio was a well-respected and active member of our organization, and his tragic passing is heartbreaking to our organization and the entire law enforcement community. Officer Pelliccio served the Suffolk County Police Department with honor, dedicated to the residents and communities of the Third Precinct. His courage, perseverance, and commitment to the Suffolk County Police Department earned him the esteemed Theodore Roosevelt Police Award in 2019, and he has been taken from us far too soon. We extend our sincerest condolences to his family, loved ones, and the entire Third Precinct during this unspeakably difficult time. Every Suffolk County Police Officer mourns his loss and will keep alive his legacy in their thoughts, words, and actions," said Noel DiGerolamo, President of the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association.
When Pelliccio was presented with the Theodore Roosevelt Police Award, he told the crowd, "My family, the police department and God gave me the faith and drive to do anything to make sure I was not only going to survive, but get back to work as soon as I could."
Pelliccio, from Ronkonkoma, is survived by his parents, Tony and Angela, his sister, Niki, and his fiancée, Danielle Trotta.
"Vinny was an extremely dedicated young man who loved being a police officer and was always eager to perform and excel in his law enforcement duties," Third Precinct Sergeant Philip Dluginski said. "He fully embraced the police culture and loved spending time with his blue family both during and outside of work. He will be sorely missed by all his friends and co-workers, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and fiancée at this time."
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this crash to call the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.
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