Off-duty Port Chester police officer killed in motorcycle crash

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An off-duty Port Chester police officer died Sunday afternoon after a motorcycle crash in the Town of Highlands, state police said. Christopher Bernal, 23, was operating the motorcycle just before 2 p.m. on Route 9W when he failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway, police said. The motorcycle exited the roadway and struck a parked, occupied 2023 GMC Acadia in a scenic pull-off. Bernal was pronounced dead at St. Luke's Hospital in Newburgh. A passenger in the GMC suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Bernal had been with the Port Chester Police Department for one year. He was described as "an all-around happy-go-lucky kid" whose smile was "from ear to ear," according to a statement from the department. Bernal had also been a member of the Eastchester EMS since 2022. The EMS said he "will be genuinely missed." "