Funeral set for Friday for Georgia trooper killed in crash

Pursuit of vehicle for traffic violation led to his death.

The funeral for Trooper Jimmy Cenescar, who died in a crash while attempting a traffic stop, will be Friday, the Georgia Department of Public Safety said.

Investigators believe the 28-year-old trooper tried to stop a motorcycle for a traf- fic violation on I-85 North in Gwinnett County on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 28, when his vehicle left the road and struck an embankment near Old Peachtree Road. He was taken to Northside Gwinnett Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Visitation will be Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m. at Crowell Brothers Funeral Home in Peachtree Corners, the DPS said. The funeral is planned for Friday at 11 a.m. at Mount Paran Church in Atlanta, with burial to follow at Mount Har- mony Memorial Gardens in Mableton.

On Tuesday, various law enforcement agencies escorted Cenescar’s casket from GBI headquarters to the funeral home.

Cenescar was the fifth officer to die in the line of duty across the country in 2024, according to the Offi- cer Down Memorial Page, which tracks law enforce- ment deaths. Of the five, two are from Georgia.

Cenescar had been employed with the DPS since January 2023 and was a graduate of the 114th trooper school, the agency said.

Prior to becoming a trooper, he worked for the Atlanta Police Department, where he was previously hailed as a hero for his efforts in saving someone’s life.

In October 2021, Cenes- car rescued a motorist who crashed and drove off a bridge on Marietta Road and Thomas Street, Atlanta police said.

Cenescar was flagged down by a witness who reported the driver was still in a vehicle some 50 feet below the bridge. A large, locked gate blocked a gravel driveway leading to the site of the wreck.

“I had to take action quickly to get that driver out of the vehicle because I knew under that bridge was a train track,” Cenes- car said in a video released after the incident.

The officer got permis- sion from a supervisor to push through the gate with his patrol vehicle, and that’s what he did to reach the injured driver.

On Wednesday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens issued a statement:

“Like so many, I’m deeply saddened by the death of Georgia State Patrol trooper and former Atlanta Police Officer Jimmy Cenescar, a dedicated member of the Department of Public Safety, who tragically lost his life in a crash while attempting to stop a motorcyclist,” Dickens said. “This serves as a poignant reminder of the risks that law enforcement officers face every day to ensure our safety. I ask all Atlantans to keep Officer Cenescar’s family and loved ones in their prayers.”

Cenescar is survived by his parents and fiancée. He was a student at Georgia Gwinnett College and was on track to graduate in the spring, the college said.