This is a statement released by police officials in neighboring Hillside after one of their police officers was killed in an early morning crash on Route 1&9 in Linden:
"The men and women of the Hillside Police Department are deeply saddened to have learned the news of a vehicle crash last night in Linden, N.J. which took the life of one of our own, Officer Giovanni Esposito.
Officer Esposito was hired less than a year ago, in November of 2017. He then graduated at the top of his class from the Essex County Police Academy.
Officer Esposito loved his job and was a warm and friendly person who was well-liked by all who knew him. He prided himself on serving the community of Hillside with diligence and compassion. His death is a profound loss to our department, and we will miss him terribly. We wish his family solace and comfort during this extremely difficult time".
Click **[HERE](https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/linden-car-crash-shuts-down-all-lanes-route-1)**for original story.
The crash is being investigated by the Linden Police Department. For details about the incident please contact Lt. Chris Guenther of Linden PD.