At the Candlelight Vigil
A time for reflection
Jordan McCarson remembers her life with husband and fallen
New Jersey State Trooper Eli McCarson
n BY JENNIFER TRATTLER
Jordan McCarson spent eight years dating the love of her
life, New Jersey State Trooper Eli McCarson, before marrying
him on Sept. 18, 2015 – almost three months to the day before
he tragically passed from injuries sustained in a line-of-duty
car accident.
“He was very proud to be a Trooper,” Jordan professed. “I’ve
known him since elementary school and that’s all he ever talked about.”
McCarson – a member of the 155th State Police Class
– graduated on Feb. 20, 2015, and was assigned to the
Woodstown Station.
On Dec. 17, 2015, McCarson was responding to a domestic
dispute when his vehicle struck a utility pole on Route 49 in
Quinton Township. He was transported to the Memorial Hospital of Salem County where the 30-year-old Trooper heartbreakingly succumbed to his injuries.
“Every time we see somebody in uniform we miss Eli,” affirmed Deborah McCarson, Eli’s mother. “Every time we hug
somebody who has a uniform on, it helps us feel closer to
him, but it also makes us miss him.”
There were opportunities abound for the McCarsons to hug
somebody in uniform at the Candlelight Vigil during the 2016
Police Week, where a beautiful display of love between survivors and law enforcement officers offered the family a continued pillar of support.
“The love and the support is overwhelming,” Jordan emphasized. “I talk to (Troopers) all the time, and they’re always
asking how we are. A lot of them have stories about Eli, and I
like hearing the stories about just how well he did.”
A favorite story of her late husband came to her at the Vigil:
When McCarson was first hired at the Port Norris station, he
and another new Trooper were instructed to get in the car and
head to a drug bust.
“He didn’t know they were actually going to be a part of
taking down a meth lab,” continued Jordan, who explained
that when his car pulled up, the house was cleared and the
suspects were on the front lawn. “Eli just ran up and said ‘get
down, don’t move,’ and started handcuffing them. He didn’t
even think he would be part of it, he thought he was just observing for the experience.”
McCarson’s memory will live on as Jordan prepares to welcome their son into the world on Aug. 2, a day that will be
doubly special as Eli’s lucky number was two. d
Jordan and Eli McCarson celebrate his graduation as a member of the
155th State Police Class on Feb. 22, 2015.
www.njcopsmagazine.com
■ JUNE 2016 43