ATLANTA — A trooper with the Georgia Department of Public Safety was killed Sunday after his patrol unit left the roadway as he was attempting to make a traffic stop on Interstate 85, state law enforcement officials confirmed on Monday.
Georgia DPS said Trooper Jimmy Cenescar, 28, was trying to pull over a motorcycle for a traffic violation in the northbound lanes near Old Peachtree Road when his vehicle left the highway and struck an embankment, authorities said, according to WSB-TV.
First responders provided life-saving measures and rushed Cenescar to Northside Gwinnett Hospital, where the trooper was later pronounced dead, officials confirmed.
“The Department of Public Safety sends its sincerest condolences and prayers to Trooper Jimmy Cenescar’s family and co-workers. Please keep Trooper Cenescar’s family in your prayers as they cope with the loss of their loved one,” authorities said in a statement.
While sharing a photo of himself with Cenescar and another trooper on social media, Gov. Brian Kemp said Cenescar died at the beginning of a life that had experiences and opportunities ahead for him, the Atlanta Patch reported.
“That service and commitment to duty inspires us all and makes this sudden loss all the more tragic,” Kemp said. “Our heartfelt prayers are with trooper Cenescar’s family, his fiance, his colleagues and friends today. They will remain in our thoughts throughout this difficult time, and we ask all Georgians to join us in reflecting on the heavy sacrifices our brave men and women like trooper Cenescar make each day for the safety of our communities.”
Please read my statement on the tragic passing of Trooper Jimmy Cenescar: https://t.co/G4IhXNfVn2 pic.twitter.com/dnYFP0NtK0
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) January 29, 2024
Cenescar had been with Georgia DPS since January 2023 after graduating from the 114th Trooper School, authorities said.
Prior to serving with DPS, Cenescar worked for the Atlanta Police Department. In October 2021, he was credited with saving a driver whose car had driven about 50 feet deep off of a bridge, police said.
On Monday, the Atlanta Police Department said, “You were truly a public servant.”
Cenescar is the fourth Georgia law-enforcement officer to die this month.
