Plainfield police vehicle causes fatality

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Published in the Courier News, Sunday, 4/23/2006, Page A1 - not online

Plainfield police vehicle causes fatality

By CHAD WEIHRAUCH
Staff Writer

PLAINFIELD -- A police car driven by a detective responding to a report of gunfire struck and killed a pedestrian who walked into the street early Saturday, authorities said.

Fausto Fabin Ramos, 51, of 57 Manning Ave., North Plainfield, was fatally hit by the marked police cruiser about 4:20 a.m. near the intersection of Oxford Place and West Front Street in Plainfield, city police Chief Edward Santiago said.

Ramos was treated at the scene but pronounced dead there a short time later, police said.

Santiago said the Union County Prosecutor's Office and the county police department are handling the investigation into the accident, as is standard procedure.

Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow identified the driver of the police unit as Detective Robert Henderson, who has been with the department for more than a decade.

Romankow said Henderson was en route to Putnam Avenue to investigate a report that gunshots had been fired in the area. He was driving east on West Front Street when Ramos evidently stepped out from between two parked vehicles, Romankow added.

It was unclear Saturday whether Henderson had his overhead lights or siren activated at the time.

Maria Ramos, 22, of North Plainfield said family members found out about the accident when they placed a call to her father's cell phone after 4:30 a.m. to find out where he was. A police officer answered and told them what had happened.

A married father of five with two granddaughters, Fausto Ramos had lived in North Plainfield since he moved to American from Ecuador 22 years ago. He worked in construction, had a great sense of humor and liked to travel, Maria Ramos said.

"Basically, he was just willing to help anyone," she said. "He always had his front door open, you know what I mean? He was always willing to help."

A police officer came to the family's front door later with a photograph so they could positively identify her father as the victim, she added.

Officials said the cause of the accident will be investigated further, and an autopsy and toxicology test will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.

Calling Henderson "one of the good guy" on the city police department, Romankow said there was no indication the officer was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident.

He also said excessive speed did not appear to be a factor.

"We're going to conduct a full investigation, and once a full report is presented to me, we'll determine whether there was any conduct that was in violation of any regulation," he said. "It was just a tragic set of circumstances, but it does not seem the officer deviated from the norm."

Santiago also described the accident as a sad mishap.

"The mayor extends her condolences to the family, as well as (does) the entire police department," he said.

Another officer followed up on the Putnam Avenue shooting report, but no evidence such as shell casings was found in the area, Santiago added.

Funeral arrangements for Fausto Ramos still were being made late Saturday, family said.

What you can do

Anyone who saw the accident is asked to call Detective Dean Marcantonio of the Union County Prosecutor's Office at (908) 527-4500, Plainfield police Lt. Gregory Turner at (908) 753-3050 or Detective Kevin Egbert at (908) 753-3044. Witnesses can also call the Union County police at (908) 654-9800.

Chad Weihrauch can be reached at (908) 707-3137.

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