Moorestown Police Ptlm. Craig Berner died in a motorcycle accident while off-duty on Saturday, July 27, according the Moorestown Police Department.
The accident occurred on Westfield Road between Stanwick Glen and Salem roads at approximately 10:04 p.m., involving Berner and an off-duty detective from the Burlington County Prosecutor’s office, Lt. Lee Lieber said.
No other injuries were reported and Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and the state police are investigating the accident.
Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor’s office said Camden County stepped in at the request of the attorney general to oversee the investigation along with the state police due to conflict of interest.
The county and state are investigating the cause of the accident.
Laughlin said Berner was not on his Honda motorcycle when he slid into oncoming traffic before being struck by a Ford F-150.
Berner, a former U.S. Marine spent 26 years as an officer in Moorestown and graduated from Moorestown High School in 1979, according to MHS’s class of 1979 profile page.
According to Lieber, Berner always went above and beyond for the department, involving himself in traffic training, serving as an accident investigator, a field-training officer and acted as the longtime firearms instructor.
Lieber said Berner was also a good mentor to the younger officers entering the department.
“He was a really steady guy,” Lieber said, adding he would direct younger officers to Berner if they needed help in a particular area.
According to Lieber, Berner’s laugh was very distinctive “resonating throughout the entire department.” He said he always had a joke.
Don Brauckmann, Cinnaminson Township Committee member and Moorestown Police officer, posted his condolences on Cinnaminson Township’s Facebook page.
“Our thoughts, sympathy, and prayers go out to Officer Berner’s family and his extended Moorestown Police/Law Enforcement Family during this trying time. Godspeed,” he said in the post.
Moorestown Council members were also saddened by Berner’s passing, releasing a joint statement on the tragedy: “We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the death of Moorestown Police Officer Craig Berner. Berner lived his life giving back to others not only as a police officer, but as a former U.S. Marine. There are no words that can adequately express our gratitude for his service to Moorestown, or our sorrow for his loss. We pray that his family and friends are comforted by his memory at this extremely difficult time.”
