Twenty-eight years to the day on Valentine’s Day, a good man’s life was cut short while doing what he swore to do as a New York State Police Trooper – To Protect and To Serve. That man was Trooper Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Burroughs, who died at just 30 years old while on duty. 

Tragedy struck on that cold February morning in 1997 near Exit 112 on Route 17, the result of an icy roadway which caused a tractor trailer to jack-knife and crash into the site where Burroughs was assisting a stranded motorist. Despite wind and ice, he spent his last few hours alive protecting those just trying to make it home, make it to work, make it back to their loved ones… Burroughs and his fellow law enforcement officers safeguarded countless to these noble destinations. 

Engaged to be wed, Burroughs did more than just wear his badge – he exemplified what a dedicated love truly meant through his work and personal life. The ring on his finger and the promise in his heart only makes this horrific turn of events that much more heart-wrenching.

There is a reason this fraternity is at the core of police service, often with that core being marked by a sorrowful reason for its display in full color. The men and women in uniform stood at attention last Friday morning, February 14, 2025 at 11:15 a.m. to salute Trooper Burroughs and all he meant to them.

Twenty-eight years to this very day, February 21, the Sullivan County Democrat editorialized and covered the burial rites of the eternally young Burroughs. Today, we reaffirm what was on those pages – that police put their lives on the line each and every day to keep us safe and protect us from harm’s way. Trooper Burroughs was no exception to that.

To our brave New York State Troopers – and all law enforcement and emergency responders – thank you for all you do to keep us safe and protected. Thank you for your dedication and thank you for remembering a young man on the anniversary of gaining his angel wings.