Tpr. Frederick A. Hardy died as a result of injuries sustained when he was struck by a passing motor vehicle. He was exiting his patrol unit to conduct a traffic stop during the early morning hours of Saturday, November 6, 1999.
At 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 5, 1999, he reported for duty at the Detroit Freeway Post. Trooper Hardy was assigned to work the midnight shift, 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., with partner Tpr. LaVern Willett.
At approximately 12:30 a.m., Saturday, November 6, Troopers Hardy and Willett stopped a motor vehicle for speeding on eastbound I-96 between Livernois and Joy Road. The vehicle had been paced travelling 80mph in a 55mph zone. As Trooper Hardy exited the patrol vehicle to conduct the traffic stop, he was struck by a passing vehicle.
The vehicle, also eastbound, had driven off the roadway, striking the side of the patrol unit. After striking the patrol unit, the vehicle continued eastbound striking Trooper Hardy. The stopped vehicle, occupied by two citizens, was not struck.
The vehicle, after striking Trooper Hardy, continued eastbound on I-96, failing to stop at the crash scene. Lifesaving efforts were administered to the fallen trooper, who was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, Trooper Hardy was pronounced dead due to injuries sustained in the crash.
The driver of the suspected vehicle, a 30 year old male, was the only occupant of the vehicle. The Detroit Police Department arrested the suspected driver at approximately 2:30 p.m. on November 6, 1999, at his place of employment. They received a telephone tip leading them to the hit and run vehicle. The suspect’s girlfriend’s sister, from whom he had borrowed the vehicle, contacted the Detroit Police Department after hearing news reports about the crash and a description of the vehicle.
The suspected driver of the vehicle was arraigned on November 9, 1999, in the 36th District Court in Detroit on the charges of Operating Under the Influence of Liquor (OUIL) Causing Death, Manslaughter With A Motor Vehicle, Driving With License Suspended (DWLS) Causing Death, DWLS Second Conviction, and Fleeing the Scene of an Accident Causing Death.
Trooper Frederick A. Hardy was the 47th MSP officer to die in the line of duty.