Who Is Terry DiFalco? Teen Killed In Westfield By Off-Duty Police Trooper

A young teenager was hit and killed by an off-duty New Jersey state trooper in Westfield over the weekend.

Terry DiFalco, 13, was pronounced dead at the scene by officials following an accident that involved the vehicle driven by the state trooper Saturday evening, CBS News reported.

An investigation was ongoing and the cause of the accident was not immediately disclosed, according to reports.

DiFalco was struck on Central Avenue in Westfield, located in Union County. The state trooper was not immediately identified. The accident occurred during a scavenger hunt the teen was participating in that was related to a school drama production.

“She was crossing Central Avenue and the car ended up hitting her because one of the boxes was at this guy’s house on Central Avenue,” Vincent Moora, a friend of DiFalco’s, told CBS News. Other students were nearby and participating in the game, which was an annual tradition.

“She was talented, intelligent, everything you could want in a daughter and I knew her since first grade,” Kathy Jensen, DiFalco’s former Girl Scout leader, said.

DiFalco was a freshman at Westfield High School and was involved in her school’s plays, according to Patch. The 13-year-old had appeared in a theater production of “Romeo and Juliet” last fall.

A candlelight vigil was held for her Sunday evening, when hundreds gathered to pay respect to DiFalco. Grief counselors would be at the school Monday, according to Pix 11 news.

“Words cannot adequately describe the sorrow we feel upon the tragic loss last evening of one of our Westfield High School freshman,” Superintendent Margaret Dolan said in a statement released Sunday. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her loving family and friends. Our school counselors and administrative team will be on hand to provide support and help in any way we can.”