State trooper drives Stockton student to final exam after car breaks down on Parkway

    State trooper Kimberly Snyder. Photo courtesy of the New Jersey State Police.

    State trooper Kimberly Snyder. Photo courtesy of the New Jersey State Police.

    It’s a nightmare for any college student.

    Already dealing with the anxiety of facing a final exam, imagine breaking down on the side of a highway and missing the test.

    That’s what almost happened to a Stockton University student.

    Instead, he was saved by the New Jersey State Police, the agency announced today in a release. 

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    Earlier this month, John Lancellotti was heading south on the Garden State Parkway when his 2005 Nissan Frontier began to overheat.

    Police say Lancellotti’s parents were out of the area and couldn’t make it to the scene to drive him to his final.

    State trooper Kimberly Snyder arrived on the scene, saw smoke billowing from the engine, and called for a tow truck. Lancellotti told Snyder about his dilemma. 

    “In a situation like this, a trooper is required to relay a stranded motorist to a safe area where he or she can make arrangements for a ride home, but that’s not what Tpr. I Snyder did,” a police spokesperson said. “Instead, she went above and beyond the call of duty by driving John directly to the university so that he did not have to miss or reschedule the exam.”

    Lancellotti’s parents sent the agency a letter, saying they were touched by Snyder’s good deed and extremely grateful. 

    Just a few days later, a state trooper from the same station drove two high school students to their prom after a crash on the Garden State Parkway. Read the story here

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