NYPD

Commander of NYPD Cadet Corps Killed in Bronx Motorcycle Accident

Inspector Michael McGrath oversaw the program for college students

What to Know

  • The commander of the NYPD Cadet Corps was killed in a motorcycle accident in the Bronx, law enforcement sources say
  • Michael McGrath was riding a motorcycle when it collided with a truck on East Tremont Avenue just before 8 a.m. Monday
  • The truck driver stayed at the scene, and no criminality is suspected at this time

The commanding officer of the NYPD Cadet Corps has been killed in a motorcycle accident in the Bronx, law enforcement sources familiar with the case told News 4. 

Inspector Michael McGrath was riding a motorcycle when it collided with a truck on East Tremont Avenue in the Pelham Bay Park neighborhood just before 8 a.m. Monday. He was taken to a local hospital; the truck driver stayed on scene. The two collided as the truck was attempting to make a left turn.

Footage from the scene showed a sprawling emergency presence, with uniformed cops and detectives canvassing the area as crime scene tape surrounded the crashed motorcycle. 

McGrath was the long-time commander of the Cadet Corps, an NYPD program that offers hourly wages and tuition assistance to local college students who train while in school and intend to join the department after graduation. 

Police Commissioner James O'Neill extended his "deepest condolences" to his family, friends and colleagues, saying McGrath "shaped young minds and prepared coming generations of New York's Finest."

First Deputy Commissioner Ben Tucker also expressed his condolences while commending the 56-year-old for his ability to get the most out of young recruits.

“He knew how to recruit young people, encourage them to come onto this agency and to bring them up as cadets and bring them into the ranks of our New York City police officers,” Tucker said of his friend McGrath, who served the city for nearly 30 years. "Mike had a good heart. He was an honest, hard working, dedicated professional and he did everything he could to help this city."

The truck driver was not hurt, and police say there is no criminality suspected at this point.

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