Pedestrian killed by police cruiser

November 10, 2018 06:42 PM

COBLESKILL - No one seems to know why 26-year old Gerard Roldan III stepped in front of a Cobleskill police cruiser on East Main Street Friday night. And because Roldan died at the scene, his friends wonder if anyone will ever know the reason.

"My gut is telling me that there was not enough safety precautions taken," said Amanda Vasquez, a long time friend.

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Cobleskill Police wouldn't comment beyond what was written in their news release, that weather conditions at the time included rain and wet/slick roads.

"Something don't seem right from looking at the scene, I don't see how the cop didn't see him," said Jason Bryant, another friend.

"I'm not here to point fingers, I'm just here to celebrate his life," said another friend, Tyler Briggs.

Witnesses say Roldan's body wound up more than 150 feet down the road from the point of impact.

"He had a lot to live for," Vasquez added, "He has a lot of people that cared for him and a lot of people that he left behind."

Many of those people left behind showed up at the scene Saturday morning for an impromptu vigil.

"Me and him just always stuck together," Bryant stated, "This is just tragic. I can't believe it happened."

Several mourners described their friend as a sometimes troubled, but virtuous young man.

"If he were here right now, he would make sure that I had two sweatshirts on and he wouldn't have one on," Briggs stated.

"He was always happy-go-lucky," his friend Cody Sherman-Bouck, added, "He didn't ask for nothing and he'd always go if you want anything come right to me."

"He was loved by everybody and he's going to be dearly missed by a lot of people," Vasquez added.

The tragedy comes on the heels of three other recent deaths within the same circle of friends.

"Everybody is just slowly starting to drop," said Joseph Zeao, "It's like there's a dark cloud over Cobleskill, over Schoharie County. Things just keep happening."

Cobleskill Police say the officer involved in the accident tested negative for alcohol and he provided a blood sample voluntarily that will be tested for drugs. In addition, he was placed on mandatory administrative leave pending the outcome of the State Police investigation.


Dan Levy


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