RELEASE: Gottheimer Commemorates the Life of Darren Drake with Family and the North Jersey Community

NEW MILFORD, NJ — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer joined with the North Jersey community and the family of Darren Drake to commemorate his life and highlight the bipartisan Darren Drake Act that was recently signed into law to help combat lone-wolf terror. Darren was tragically killed in the 2017 NYC West Side Highway terrorist truck attack.

The community also came together to honor the work of the Darren Drake Foundation, which has helped award scholarships to deserving high school students interested in pursuing vocational education.

Gottheimer’s bipartisan Darren Drake Act, signed into law in December 2022, will help stop ISIS-inspired, lone-wolf, and other domestic terrorists from easily acquiring trucks and other vehicles used as weapons of war to wreak havoc and cause mass destruction and death. Working closely with vehicle rental companies, and in consultation with federal, state, and local law enforcement, the bipartisan legislation requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to develop a strategy and take concrete steps to stop vehicular terrorist attacks and save lives.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than five years since an ISIS-inspired lone wolf terrorist rented a vehicle, used it as a weapon of terror on the West Side Highway, and took Darren from the Drakes. In those five years, I’ve seen unimaginable strength in Barbara and Jimmy Drake, from New Milford, and the entire North Jersey community. It has been an honor to continue Darren’s legacy with the Darren Drake Act and an incredible sight to see the outpouring of support for local students through the Darren Drake Foundation,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “We must never give into the threat of extremism, and the Darren Drake Act is an example of what we can achieve as Americans when we come together to make positive change. There is nothing political or partisan about it. This commonsense, bipartisan legislation is an important addition to our arsenal as we continue to eradicate threats of terror at home and abroad.”

Below: Gottheimer at Darren Drake’s commemoration party.

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