Highway Interchange Named in Honor of Late Navy Ensign John Elliott

On Thursday, Bill and Muriel Elliott went to Trenton and watched as Acting Gov. Nicholas Scutari signed a bill into law that designates a new highway project as the “Ensign John R. Elliott Memorial Interchange.”

Bill Elliott said in an interview Friday that he hopes that the interchange between Route 42 and Route 295 will help save many lives.

“John was coming home and he took Route 40 with tragic consequences,” he said. “If there had been an interchange, it could have saved his life.”

John Elliott was killed by a drunken driver on July 22, 2000, in a head-on crash in Upper Pittsgrove Township, Salem County.

The new interchange, which opened in November with two new exit ramps, is expected to improve traffic conditions on local routes and provide a more direct route for travelers.

Scutari called the late Navy ensign, “an exemplary young man whose life was tragically cut short.”

“He was a beloved son, brother, friend and officer who served our country with distinction,” Scutari said in a state news release. “His legacy will live on through the selfless work of his family with the HERO campaign, which will help prevent future tragedies and save lives.”

The Elliotts created the HERO Campaign, a nonprofit that advocates for the use of designated drivers to take people home after they have been drinking, in honor of their son, months after his death.

Bill Elliott said he and his family will continue to educate in the HERO campaign the significance of having a designated driver.

“The lives saved by this new interchange will now serve as his permanent legacy, along with the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers and its goal to end drunken driving tragedies,” he said.

    The Hero Walk is held each year in Ocean City.
  

The HERO Campaign has had a major influence at the Jersey Shore. Among other shore towns, police cars in Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Atlantic City and Somers Point have been wrapped in the HERO Campaign logo to promote its mission.

The annual HERO walk, a major fundraiser, is scheduled for Oct. 20 on the Ocean City Boardwalk. A ceremony prior to the walk will be held at the Ocean City Sports & Civic Center.

The prime sponsors of the legislation naming the highway interchange in John Elliott’s honor are Sen. Vince Polistina, Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez, Assemblyman Don Guardian, Assemblywoman Claire Swift and Assemblyman David Bailey.

Bill Elliott said he hopes that every time “people see the sign at the interchange they will know why it was named in John’s memory.”

“It is a powerful reminder of the importance of not drinking and driving,” he said.

Muriel Elliott said the signage “in our son’s memory will serve as a reminder of the importance of having a designated driver, which we believe is a cure for drunk driving.”

A sign dedication ceremony is being planned and could happen as early as next month, Bill Elliott said, adding that details and the location will be announced at a later date.

Sen. Polistina, as a prime sponsor of the legislation, commented in the news release that the Elliott family has shown true dedication.

“We are deeply grateful for the Elliott family, parents Bill and Muriel and sister, Jenny, for their unwavering dedication to ensure that John's legacy will forever be honored through this meaningful commemoration,” Polistina said.

“This interchange will stand not only as a vital connector between two major roadways, but also as tribute to John's life, which was tragically cut short in a head-on collision with a drunk driver," Polistina added.

State Department of Transportation Commissioner Fran O’Connor said that naming the interchange in memory of the late Navy ensign will help “bring attention to the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers started by his family, so no one else has to suffer a similar tragedy.”

For more information visit https://herocampaign.org/

    Ocean City Police Department is among the departments in the state with HERO wrapped cars.