TRAVERSE CITY -- An off-duty Traverse City police officer who crashed and burned his personal vehicle walked away unharmed and legally unscathed, even though he was driving with an expired license plate.
Traverse City officer Joseph L. Soffredine failed to make a turn on Cedar Run Road just west of Harris Road on Feb. 7 about 3:20 a.m. Soffredine is the son of Ralph Soffredine, a city commissioner and former Traverse City police chief.
A report written by Grand Traverse Sheriff's Department deputies said Soffredine, 38, was headed west toward his home in his 2004 Dodge Durango when he hit a patch of ice, lost control, and struck several small trees.
Deputies did not ask Soffredine to submit to field sobriety or preliminary breath tests for alcohol. They apparently did not check his license plates, which expired July 31, 2009, according to Michigan Secretary of State records.
Sheriff deputies Robert Sillers and Mark Noffke responded to the accident, as did members of the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department. Metro Chief Pat Parker said it appears the Durango overheated and caught fire in the engine compartment when Soffredine tried to free the vehicle.
Undersheriff Nathan Alger defended the deputies' decision not to ticket Soffredine for the crash or ask him to take sobriety tests.
"We don't give tickets to everyone involved in an accident, at-fault or otherwise," Alger said. "That's up to the officer's discretion."
The police report cited icy conditions, but June and Terry Martin, who live near the incident scene, said the road was clear when Soffredine crashed onto their property.
The National Weather Service in Gaylord said Feb. 5 had just a trace of snow, while Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 were cold and sunny.
"I wasn't there, so I don't know what the conditions of the road were," Alger said. "I'll take the police report at face value."
But Alger acknowledged concern when a reporter informed him of Soffredine's expired plates.
"This information is problematic and troubling," Alger said. "Those officers should have run the plate that evening, and if they didn't, I don't know why not. Unfortunately, a Record-Eagle reporter is the one telling me this. I'm going to be talking to the officers ... ."
"My assumption is they didn't run it because he is a police officer and they assumed it would be up-to-date," Alger said. "On Monday, they'll be instructed to investigate the registration and make sure the vehicle was insured."
Soffredine did not return messages left on his voice mail.
Soffredine could face a civil infraction of $100 if the sheriff's department decides to cite him for failing to register his vehicle.
He may also face discipline from his employer.
"We expect our police officers to adhere to the traffic laws like everybody else," Traverse City Police Capt. Steve Morgan said. "As for discipline ... I'll be talking to the chief about it when he gets back Monday."
http://www.record-eagle.com/local/local_story_044001028.html
here is what the dirty cops are saying
http://gtcopwatch.org/forum/index.php?topic=2062.new#new
Traverse City officer Joseph L. Soffredine failed to make a turn on Cedar Run Road just west of Harris Road on Feb. 7 about 3:20 a.m. Soffredine is the son of Ralph Soffredine, a city commissioner and former Traverse City police chief.
A report written by Grand Traverse Sheriff's Department deputies said Soffredine, 38, was headed west toward his home in his 2004 Dodge Durango when he hit a patch of ice, lost control, and struck several small trees.
Deputies did not ask Soffredine to submit to field sobriety or preliminary breath tests for alcohol. They apparently did not check his license plates, which expired July 31, 2009, according to Michigan Secretary of State records.
Sheriff deputies Robert Sillers and Mark Noffke responded to the accident, as did members of the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department. Metro Chief Pat Parker said it appears the Durango overheated and caught fire in the engine compartment when Soffredine tried to free the vehicle.
Undersheriff Nathan Alger defended the deputies' decision not to ticket Soffredine for the crash or ask him to take sobriety tests.
"We don't give tickets to everyone involved in an accident, at-fault or otherwise," Alger said. "That's up to the officer's discretion."
The police report cited icy conditions, but June and Terry Martin, who live near the incident scene, said the road was clear when Soffredine crashed onto their property.
The National Weather Service in Gaylord said Feb. 5 had just a trace of snow, while Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 were cold and sunny.
"I wasn't there, so I don't know what the conditions of the road were," Alger said. "I'll take the police report at face value."
But Alger acknowledged concern when a reporter informed him of Soffredine's expired plates.
"This information is problematic and troubling," Alger said. "Those officers should have run the plate that evening, and if they didn't, I don't know why not. Unfortunately, a Record-Eagle reporter is the one telling me this. I'm going to be talking to the officers ... ."
"My assumption is they didn't run it because he is a police officer and they assumed it would be up-to-date," Alger said. "On Monday, they'll be instructed to investigate the registration and make sure the vehicle was insured."
Soffredine did not return messages left on his voice mail.
Soffredine could face a civil infraction of $100 if the sheriff's department decides to cite him for failing to register his vehicle.
He may also face discipline from his employer.
"We expect our police officers to adhere to the traffic laws like everybody else," Traverse City Police Capt. Steve Morgan said. "As for discipline ... I'll be talking to the chief about it when he gets back Monday."
http://www.record-eagle.com/local/local_story_044001028.html
here is what the dirty cops are saying
http://gtcopwatch.org/forum/index.php?topic=2062.new#new
