News of the New York State Trooper`s death quickly spread down the Interstate 81 corridor as drivers from New York came passing through our area.
The pit stop just of off Interstate 81 in Great Bend was packed with cars from New York.
Many of these drivers just came off the highway from New York and knew the tragic news about the death of a New York State Trooper who was killed in a hit and run.
“It`s sad, it breaks my heart, that`s terrible, how could anybody do that, you know?” said Lewis Finnerty of Binghamton. “I mean how could you hit somebody and keep going? “
State police in New York say one of their own, 42-year old Christopher Skinner, was killed during a traffic stop on the interstate, after the driver of a pick-up truck, 60-year old Almond Upton of Florida intentionally hit him.
Authorities say the driver then pulled off the highway shed his clothes before running into the woods.
Police caught him an hour later.
“Obviously he doesn`t have anything upstairs to speak up, if you`re going to do something like that, you`re not going to get away,” said Jack Miller of Binghamton.
Maureen Crook of Great Bend heard the whole thing on her scanner.
“Things popped up that a police man had been killed, run off the road and the guy took off,” said Crook. “Just very tragic this has happened again, we`re a mile from the border so it affects us too.”
New York State Police say Skinner leaves behind two children and a fiancée.
People here say their hearts are with them.
“Sympathies go out to the family, all of the police, their brotherhood,” said Crook.
“42-years old, two kids, fiancée, how do you tell these people this stuff, it`s tragic,” said Miller.