Officer James Morrison of the Division of Public Safety died Thursday in a motorcycle accident in Virginia. Morrison had been with DPS since 2007.
Credit: Courtesy of The Division of Public SafetyDivision of Public Safety Officer James “Jimmy” Morrison died at 2 p.m. Thursday as a result of a motorcycle accident in Culpeper, Va. He was 47.
Morrison was driving his Harley Davidson as part of his annual ride in Culpeper with the Blue Knights, a law enforcement charity organization. An 84-year-old man in a 2008 Ford pickup truck swerved into Morrison’s lane, causing him to drive off the road.
Morrison was transported to the local hospital, where he died from his injuries shortly after. His wife and son were on the trip with him in Culpeper and were by his side in the hospital.
Morrison has been a member of the motorcycle patrol at DPS since 2007. Penn students might’ve recognized him driving around on his bike during the night shift.
“We have 176 police officers and we know everyone,” said Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush. “It’s a real personal matter for everyone here. It’s like losing a member of your family.”
DPS sent down four officers who worked closely with Morrison to help escort his wife and son back to Pennsylvania.
Morrison’s relatives will also miss him dearly.
“He was just a great person and I don’t want to see him go already. I don’t know what else to say,” said his mother, Jane Morrison.
“He just had the most unique and amazing laugh. Whenever he walked in the room you knew he was there because you could hear him laughing. He’ll be missed by so many people. Always a smile,” said Karen Hewins, Morrison’s sister.
Morrison was the head of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Blue Knights, which participates in many charity events like collecting toys for children during the holidays. Before Penn, Officer Morrison spent 13 years working for the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Over the past 10 years, he has been deployed on several combat missions as a member of the Armed Forces.
“Officer Jimmy Morrison was a model father, husband, patriot [and] University of Pennsylvania police officer,” Rush said. “He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.”
Morrison is survived by his wife, Wendy, and his 14-year-old son, James.
Anyone wishing to contribute additional comments should email City News Editor Sarah Smith at smith@thedp.com.
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