A police department in New Jersey is mourning the loss of one of its members who died in a traffic collision Saturday morning.
Officer Julio Luis Noreiga was driving into work around 7 a.m. when his car struck a garbage truck, the North Bergen Police Department said. The crash happened near 41st Street and Tonnelle Avenue.
Police also said Noreiga's vehicle caught fire. He was pulled from his car unconscious and rushed to Jersey City Medical Center with life-threatening-injuries.
"It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the death of Officer Julio Luis Noriega #170 who succumbed to his injuries earlier this morning as a result of a serious motor vehicle accident. Please pray for Julio’s family and his dear friends during this difficult time," the department said in a Facebook post Saturday.
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The driver of the garbage truck was uninjured but a passenger was taken to the hospital for minor injuries, police said.
Additional circumstances surrounding the collision weren't immediately known.
