[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 118 (Friday, August 3, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1436]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING DOUGLAS CROPPER, MAINE STATE TROOPER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHELLIE PINGREE

                                of maine

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2012

  Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr Speaker, I would like to recognize a Maine 
State Trooper in my district who literally put his life on the line to 
prevent what could have been a terrible tragedy.
  While performing a traffic stop on Interstate 295 in Portland on the 
afternoon of July 1, Trooper Douglas Cropper received a call that a 
motorist was driving northbound in the southbound lane of Maine's 
busiest highway. Seeing no other options to stop the wrong-way driver, 
Trooper Cropper raced ahead of the car and nosed his cruiser into the 
travel lane. The driver hit the cruiser and came to a stop just in time 
for oncoming motorists to avoid a collision. A dramatic dashboard video 
from the cruiser shows just how quickly the incident unfolded.
  No one was injured, and I'm extremely grateful that this scary moment 
didn't end up being a tragic one. But it's very likely that this would 
not have been the case without Trooper Cropper's quick thinking and 
outstanding bravery.
  Trooper Cropper says he was simply doing his job. But it's my belief 
that he went above and beyond to protect lives--and that he saved many 
in the process.
  I want to thank Trooper Douglas Cropper for his actions, and for what 
he and other Maine State Police officers do every day in Maine: putting 
their lives on the line to protect people of our state. We owe them all 
a debt of gratitude for keeping us safe.

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