Trooper injured by drunk driver in 2003 dies

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Trooper Ellen E. Engelhardt, who was left in a permanent vegetative state after being struck by a drunk driver in 2003, has died, State Police said today.


Trooper Ellen Engelhardt

"It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of Trooper Ellen Engelhardt, who was not just a valued colleague but also a dear friend who dedicated her career to protecting the citizens of our state. Since suffering the tragic injuries inflicted upon her in the line of duty by a drunk driver, Trooper Engelhardt has been an inspiration to every member of this Department for the courage, grace and dignity with which she lived," Colonel Marian J. McGovern, the superintendent of the State Police, said in a statement.