NEW ORLEANS — The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office has identified the motorcycle deputy killed in a crash Friday morning while escorting a funeral procession on Airline Drive in New Orleans.
Deputy Christopher Paul Ohlmeyer, 41, of River Ridge, died after being struck by a vehicle while directing traffic during an off-duty detail, authorities said. Ohlmeyer was a 14-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, a married father of two, and had recently joined the department’s traffic division.
According to the New Orleans Police Department, the crash occurred around 11:40 a.m. in the 9200 block of Airline Drive. Ohlmeyer was escorting a funeral procession alongside a New Orleans police officer when he began slowing to a stop in the center lane. Investigators said an unidentified driver struck the rear of his motorcycle.
Ohlmeyer suffered severe injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Sheriff’s Office said Ohlmeyer spent nearly 15 years with the department. He began his career in corrections and graduated from the training academy in August 2014. He was assigned to the Fourth District, where he served East Jefferson for 11 years, before transferring last year to the traffic division. He had recently qualified as a motorman.
Throughout his career, Ohlmeyer received multiple letters of recognition and numerous compliments from citizens, according to JPSO.
“This is a hard day for us. This is a hard day for law enforcement,” Chief Deputy John Fitzpatrick said Friday afternoon outside University Medical Center. “We have a wife upstairs and kids upstairs dealing with this traumatic event, and we ask that you think about us today.”
The crash remains under investigation.
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