Sen. William Brady (R-Bloomington)
Sen. William Brady (R-Bloomington)
Burbank Police Officer Patrick Michael Righi-Barnard will never be forgotten if state Sen. William Brady (R-Bloomington) has anything to do with it.
Born in 1973, Righi-Barnard, a Peoria native, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in 2004. He was off duty at the time.
“He was headed up to Tremont the night before Thanksgiving after his parole shift,” Brady said. “At I-55, he stopped to help a motorist, and he was struck.”
Since his death, his mother, Cathy Barnard, has worked tirelessly to keep his memory alive with the annual Patrick Barnard Memorial Golf Tournament, which funds the Patrick Foundation, which gives scholarships to high school students, Brady said, adding that the police officer, who had a unique sense of humor and passion for life, will be greatly missed.
“It is our hope that by proclaiming I-95 overpass at... Towanda Exit 171 [be] called Officer Patrick Michael Righi-Barnard Memorial Overpass will serve as a lasting reminder of the ultimate sacrifice he made that night in his service to others,” Brady concluded before asking for a moment of silence.
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