A Pompton Lakes police officer died early Wednesday after colliding with a deer on Lakeside Avenue near Wayne.
According to authorities, Officer Peter J. Kamper Jr., 40, was traveling east at 12:06 a.m. when the collision occurred. He had recently completed a fill-in shift from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Kamper, a 13-year veteran of the department, served in the patrol division and was the lead firearms instructor. Pompton Lakes Police Chief Moises Agosto described him as a versatile officer who “will be missed dearly.”
Witnesses reported hearing the crash and found Kamper unresponsive. Multiple agencies, including the Wayne Police, responded to the scene.
Agosto noted that the incident was particularly traumatic for the officers who arrived and recognized their colleague. Grief counselors will be made available to the department as they process the loss.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, and there are no confirmed road closures or additional injuries at this time.