East Haddam Police Department, Connecticut
End of Watch: Friday, April 17, 1981
Age: 41
Tour of Duty: 15 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: April 17, 1981
Weapon Used: Automobile; Alcohol involved
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 6 months
Constable Thomas Jahelka was struck and killed by a drunk driver while making a traffic stop on Mount Parnassus Road, between Route 82 and Smith Road, at about 1:10 am.
He was speaking to the driver of the vehicle he had stopped when the drunk driver struck him and the other car. The driver of the car he had stopped fled the scene after the crash, however, the driver who struck him remained at the scene and was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The charges were later upgraded to misconduct with a motor vehicle. The man was convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to six months in jail.
Constable Jahelka had served as a part-time officer for the East Haddam Police Department for 15 years and had previously been a military policeman in the U.S. Army. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.
The section of Mount Parnassus Road that he was struck on was renamed the Constable Thomas D. Jahelka Memorial Highway in November 2011.