New Orleans LA Aug 25 2017 New Orleans area law enforcement is mourning the death of a veteran NOPD traffic fatality investigator described as both meticulous and empathetic in his work.

Detective Anthony Pontiff suffered a fatal heart attack while off-duty late Tuesday (Aug. 22), according to the department. Pontiff served more than 20 years with NOPD, with many of those years dedicated to examining some of the city’s most high-profile roadway tragedies.

“He handled a delicate job with thoroughness, tenacity, and tact, compassion,” said Donovan Livaccari, a former commander of the NOPD’s Traffic Fatality Investigations division.

Pontiff dedicated his career in the NOPD Traffic Division to making people safer, NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison said in a statement Wednesday.

“We offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Detective Anthony Pontiff,” Harrison said in the statement on behalf of the NOPD. “Our hearts and prayers go out to them in this difficult time, and our entire law enforcement community grieves with them. He will be deeply missed.”

Some of Pontiff’s more well-known cases include the New Year’s Day 2016 hit-and-run that killed 28-year-old Joshua Woodruff, whose body was dragged from the French Quarter to the West Bank. No one has been arrested in that case.

Pontiff also investigated the May 4, 2016 Lamborghini crash along Tchoupitoulas Street that killed passenger Kristi Lirette, 23, and led to a vehicular homicide charge for the driver.

Pontiff enjoyed the analytical aspects of his work, taking a course in accident reconstruction and delving into the process of understanding how accidents come to be, said Livaccari, now with the New Orleans branch of the Fraternal Order of Police.

“Tony liked being able to put the whole picture together in his mind as to what led to the collision and what happened afterward,” said Livaccari, who worked with Pontiff for about four years.

The long-time investigator was able to view crashes in a thorough and analytical way while also maintaining the kind of compassionate perspective important to handling fatalities, Livaccari said.

Pontiff’s own experience as a crash victim likely enhanced the investigator’s ability to appreciate the impact of crashes on those involved, Livaccari said.

In 2001, Pontiff was injured in a hit-and-run crash on Chef Menteur Highway while riding his police motorcycle to a local hospital, where he was going to interview a motorist who had been involved in an earlier crash. A truck entering the highway pulled in front of Pontiff’s motorcycle, causing Pontiff to crash into the back of the vehicle, according to a Dec. 21, 2001 article in The Times-Picayune.

A 51-year-old woman was later booked with various charges, including negligent injuring and hit-and-run driving, in the crash.

Pontiff, then a five-year veteran of the NOPD, suffered a broken leg and ankle in the crash, according to the Times-Picayune report.

“He worked his way back to full duty and never hesitated to get back in the saddle of an NOPD Harley Davidson in spite of the crash,” Livaccari said.

Prior to joining the NOPD in the mid-1990s, Pontiff served as a lieutenant with the Orleans Parish Levee Board Police, according to Livaccari.

He also enjoyed fishing and for a while, ran a charter fishing service in his spare time, Livaccari said.

Pontiff was a dedicated father and family man, he said.

“He will be missed by everyone who knew him,” Livaccari said.

nola

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