Garden State Times

The New Jersey Senate has approved legislation sponsored by Senator Vince Polistina, which proposes the naming of the interchange between State Highway Route 42 and Interstate Highway Route 295 as the “Ensign John R. Elliott Memorial Interchange”.

Polistina expressed his pride in the Senate's approval of his bill to honor U.S. Naval Academy graduate Ensign John R. Elliott, who tragically died in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. He said, “Ensign Elliot exemplified true leadership and served this country with honor and distinction. In recognition of his service, this bill would formally commemorate his legacy by naming this newly-built interchange as the Ensign John R. Elliott Memorial Interchange."

The legislation, S-2876, seeks to honor the memory of Ensign John R. Elliott by designating the interchange between Route 42 and Route 295 with his name. The new connection between these two roadways is expected to improve traffic conditions on local routes and provide a more direct route for travelers.

Bill Elliot, father of Ensign John R. Elliott, expressed gratitude towards Senator Polistina for sponsoring the bill that names the new exit connecting Interstate 295 and Route 42 after their son. He said, "The Ensign John R. Elliott Memorial Interchange will represent more than a convenient new gateway to the Jersey Shore. It also will save lives, and would have saved our son’s if it had been available the night he was killed by a drunken driver while traveling home for his mother’s birthday on an undivided highway in July, 2000."

Ensign John R. Elliott served as a Human Education Resource Officer in the United States Naval Academy’s Character Development Program from November 17, 1977 - July 22, 2000 and was named the Outstanding HERO of his graduating class at Annapolis.

On May 20, 2024, Polistina's legislation was unanimously approved by the New Jersey Senate with a vote of 37-0.