Trooper Lane returns home, 'sorely missed' by coworkers

Fellow troopers and friends of fallen state Trooper David J. Lane, Dexter, will remember him as one of the best troopers they've seen, and a lovable guy.

"Trooper Lane was both incredibly competent and likable. Everybody loved him. He was a clown. He joked around a lot," said Sgt. James Fitzmaurice, the Catskill state police station commander.

Mr. Lane, 30, worked in the Catskill barracks of the state police. He was the younger son of Stephen R. and Cheryl D. Lane, Dexter. Mrs. Lane was elected Jefferson County clerk on Tuesday. Trooper Lane was in Watertown on Tuesday night to celebrate his mother's election.

He was engaged to be married.

A 1997 graduate of General Brown High School, he served in the Army's C Company, 307th Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C. He was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during his time in the Army. Mr. Lane has been a trooper for four years.

He had been stationed in Catskill previously and then transferred to another station. When he transferred back to Catskill six months later, his fellow troopers were elated to have him back.

"We really missed him during those six months he was gone, and then everyone was really happy to have him back. He was great to have around," Sgt. Fitzmaurice said.

Mr. Lane's body was brought to Dexter in a procession Thursday afternoon. Mourners stood on Brown Street in Dexter to watch the line of police cars escort his body to his hometown.

The mourners and supporters held umbrellas to fend off the pouring rain, and American flags to honor the trooper's service. They followed the procession to Johnson Funeral Home a few blocks away. Some then continued to Mr. Lane's parents' home on Orchard Street.

The accident occurred about 2:25 p.m. Wednesday as Mr. Lane was driving his patrol car on Route 32 in the town of Catskill. He was attempting to pass a pickup truck when the two vehicles made contact, causing Mr. Lane's vehicle to veer off the road and hit a utility pole, police said.

The driver of the pickup truck was not injured and called 911 after the crash. Mr. Lane was not responding to any emergency situations at the time, and he was not using his emergency lights at the time of the crash, according to a story from The Daily Mail newspaper in Catskill.

Further details about the accident are not available at this time, as an investigation is still being conducted, police said.

Mr. Lane will be greatly missed, said Capt. Patrick Regan, who was Mr. Lane's zone commander in Catskill.

"He was competent beyond his tenure. He was one of the best troopers we had," Capt. Regan said. "Losing him has a deep impact here. He was looked up to by other troopers. His presence is already sorely missed."

The Lane family declined to talk to a reporter Thursday.