Officer Michael Tenpenny

By Sam Barron & Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

Michael Tenpenny, a police officer in Woodbridge, was killed in a motor vehicle crash in Carteret on Tuesday, Dec. 9, authorities said.

Sources tell Daily Voice the crash involved a pickup truck and a tractor-trailer in Carteret. The prosecutor's office confirmed Tenpenny, who has been with WPD since 2022, died in the crash, but did not release further information.

"Officer Tenpenny served our community with unwavering dedication, courage, and heart," Woodbridge police said in a statement. "His absence leaves a void that cannot be filled, and our hearts are heavy as we hold his family, friends, and fellow officers in our thoughts."

An Iselin native, Tenpenny is a former MSU linebacker who played all four years and graduated in 2015.