Officials announced this morning that authorities from outside Union County will be handling the investigation of Linden Officer Pedro Abad's driving and employment record to avoid any possible conflict of interest.
Union County Prosecutor's Office spokesman issued the following statement:
After a preliminary review, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office have determined that an investigation of Linden Police Department Officer Pedro Abad Jr.’s driving and employment history will be conducted by another county prosecutor’s office to avoid any possible conflict of interest, or even the appearance of any conflict of interest.
Abad, 27, was the driver in the fatal wrong-way Staten Island crash that killed two - Linden Officer Frank Viggiano, 28, and Joseph Rodriguez, 28 - and seriously injured Patrik Kudlac, 23 on March 20.
Although earlier this month, Mayor Derek Armstead said investigation would be originally be handled by the Union County Prosecutor Grace Park, officials determined it was better that the investigation be handled by outside source to avoid any possible conflict of interest, or even the appearance of any interest.
Linden officers Abad and Kudlac remain in separate Staten Island hospitals.