Community Remembers Officer Killed In Crash By Building Memorial Around Police Cruiser
GREENVILLE (KDKA) -- There were many tears and many flowers at the memorial set up Friday outside the Greenville Municipal Building in Mercer County.
The memorial is the police cruiser 41-year-old Greenville-West Salem Police Officer Jeremiah Christner drove. It is now parked at the entrance to the place where he worked. It was the idea of fellow officers trying to cope with his death.
"That was the idea of some of our officers," said Greenville Public Safety Director Jeff Crede, who is chief of both the police and fire departments. "Last night, they decided to put the car there with the black and blue ribbon on it, and the community is coming together to show their support for Officer Christner and care for the family and show their love for them."
Christner and his 17-year-old son Jeremiah Christner, Jr. both died when their car lost control on a curve along Greenville-Sheakleyville Road. The crash has been ruled accidental.
But it's hard to find comfort in Greenville today.
"Jeremiah, he was awesome," said family friend Tony Castillo. "He had this job, of course a dangerous job, and also helped his wife. She owns a daycare, and between both jobs, it was a job that demanded a lot, and he was awesome and always had a lot of patience with people and loved his family and we loved him," Castillo said.
Chief Crede said he wanted people to focus on this:
"I want people to remember that Officer Christner was a great guy, very committed to his job," he said. "He loved his job, he loved being a police officer, he loved being a police officer in this town, helping people, helping the community and he's going to be greatly missed," he said.
Scott Boyd, of Stoneboro, didn't know the officer personally, but thought it was important to pay his respects.
"Just wanted to come out and honor them and encourage others to honor their memory as well by committing themselves to more public service and helping their communities," he said.
At this point the comfort for the family will be the support of other family and friends, and the support for this police force will be the rallying effort of other police officers from all over the region.
Visitation hours have been set for Monday and Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the funeral service has been set for Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Living Word Churchon S. Maysville Road in Greenville. A procession is also planned from the church, past the station, to Loutzenhiser Funeral Home is for immediate family and police personnel.
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