mfairbanks

10 years ago, and seemingly another lifetime ago I was a young gung-ho Firefighter /  First Responder on a busy little town department in Southern New Hampshire (East Kingston) when one of out local cops (of which there were only 4 all part time, like the fire department) was run down by a drunken driver (I dont car what fuckin scan his scumball lawyer pulled to get the blood test made inadmissable in court, he was drunk!!!) while assisting with traffic at an accident scene in the next town. It's been 10 yrs since "Uncle Mel" died, seems like just yesterday "Uncle Mel" was one of those special people who truly would give anyone the shirt off his back, a true peace officer, a man with no hate or ill will in him, he just wanted to make the world a better place, Run down by a friggin repeat offender DWI, what a waste. The drunk of course basically got away with it, thanks to a slimeball lawyer he pleaded out to a lesser charge and was sentenced to time served, which since he pled out was only like 2 or 3 months, this for a repeat offender who drives drunk and kills a cop, a few weeks later, the same judge sentenced a man to 6 months for killing his cat....how did our legal "justice" system ever get so messed up???!!!???

Being the 10th anniversary of "Uncle Mels" death the State of NH today renamed the section of the highway where he was killed the "Officer Melvin Keddy Memorial Highway" while I was unable to attend the ceremony, I understand it was quiet a tribute, below is an article from the Union Leader newspaper (NH's statewide Paper) about the ceremony, along with a pic of "Uncle Mel" and a link to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

Highway to be named for fallen East Kingston officer
By ADAM GROFF
Union Leader Correspondent

KINGSTON — A stretch of Route 125 running through the middle of town will be shut down for about two hours tomorrow morning for a dedication ceremony honoring fallen East Kingston Police Officer Melvin Keddy, who was struck and killed there 10 years ago.

Gov. John Lynch and a host of county and local officials will be at the 10 a.m. ceremony, at which the stretch of Route 125 from Route 107 (Depot Road) south to Route 111 — about a mile and a half — will be renamed the Officer Melvin Keddy Memorial Highway.

Keddy was 54 and had been a part-time East Kingston officer for eight years when he responded to a call for assistance at an accident scene on that part of the highway on Sept. 7, 1995. He was hit while directing traffic at the scene.

Kingston Police Chief Donald Briggs, whom Keddy was assisting, said the one-car accident was alcohol-related, and the motorist who subsequently hit Keddy had also been drinking. The motorist, Steven Balukas, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in 1997.

Keddy had also served on the East Kingston Planning Board and as that town's emergency management director. He is survived by his two children.

Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams will officiate at tomorrow's proceedings, which mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy, and which the public is invited to attend.

A line of cruisers from every law enforcement agency in the county will trace Keddy's last journey, from the East Kingston Police Department on Route 107 west to Route 125, then south past the location of the accident, near the intersection with New Boston Road.

Briggs said Route 125 will be closed starting around 9:30 a.m. Motorists may use Main Street, which Route 125 was designed to bypass, as an alternate route.

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

http://www.nleomf.com/

"Uncle Mel", R.I.P you've earned it, and you will allways be remebered and missed.