Holly MatkinSelden, NY – Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) Officer Vincent “Vinny” Pelliccio died in a single-vehicle crash while off duty on Nov. 8.
The 30-year-old officer was traveling northbound on Nicolls Road near West Road at approximately 12:40 a.m. when his 2021 Jeep left the roadway and slammed into a median, WABC reported.
Officer Pelliccio was rushed to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The exact cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Officer Pelliccio, the son of a retired New York Police Department (NYPD) detective, was hired by the SCPD in 2014, WNYW reported.
In 2017, at the age of just 26, he was diagnosed with metastatic testicular cancer, leading to a grueling treatment regimen of chemotherapy and radiation.
Officer Pelliccio also endured surgery to remove a cancerous growth that had developed in his stomach, WNYW reported.
Despite the severity of his diagnosis, Officer Pelliccio persevered and returned to full duty in the fall of 2018.
“Even when he was too sick to report for duty, he was constantly in contact with his colleagues and friends at the SCPD, expressing his desire to help and return to his sector in Central Islip,” the SCPD said in a press release, according to WNYW.
Officer Pelliccio was presented with the Theodore Roosevelt Police Award in 2019, which is given in honor of officers who have overcome serious disabilities, diseases, or injuries and returned to the streets.
He began serving as a Third Precinct Gang Task Force officer in March of the same year, according to WABC.
SCPD Acting Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron released a statement commending Officer Pelliccio’s service and determination, WNYW reported.
“Police Officer Vincent Pelliccio was an exemplary and distinguished member of the Suffolk County Police Department whose dedication to his family, friends, and the residents of Suffolk County, was an inspiration for others throughout his years of service,” Commissioner Cameron said. “His loss is felt by everyone in the SCPD family, and I offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends.”
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said the young officer’s death was a tragedy, WNYW reported.
“An exemplary law enforcement professional and relentless fighter who returned to work full duty after winning a battle with cancer, Officer Pelliccio’s tragic passing has shaken our entire police family,” Bellone said. “My thoughts and prayers are with his fiancée and his family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Officer Pelliccio leaves behind his fiancé, as well as his parents and his sister, WNYW reported.
SELDEN NY ,,SCPD INVESTAGATING A SERIOUS CRASH THAT OCCURRED THIS MORNING JUST AFTER 1230 AM ON NICHOLS RD AFTER A JEEP OVERTURNED SEVERAL TIMES SERIOUSLY INJURING THE DRIVER pic.twitter.com/6TYGHnlMvY
— OnScenePhotography (@onsceneprez) November 8, 2021
“Suffolk County Police Officer Vincent Pelliccio was a well-respected and active member of our organization, and his tragic passing is heartbreaking to our organization and the entire law enforcement community. Officer Pelliccio served the Suffolk County Police Department pic.twitter.com/iGfHpQiyYy
— SUFFOLK COUNTY PBA (@SuffolkPBA) November 8, 2021
The Suffolk County Police Department is mourning the loss of Officer Vincent Pelliccio.
CHS Class of ‘09 🙏🏻✝️ pic.twitter.com/9gNesOMO00— Mr. Michael Moran (@CHSPrincipal_) November 9, 2021
Members of the SCPD are mourning the loss of active member Police Officer Vincent Pelliccio, who died in a motor vehicle crash in Selden on November 8. pic.twitter.com/MbomR7ugxL
— Suffolk County PD (@SCPDHq) November 8, 2021
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Suffolk County Police Department Officer Vincent “Vinny” Pelliccio, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
Sandy Malone
