1958 - Early use of RADAR by the State Police. The policy had been to have the radar unit located in area where multiple accidents had occurred. It was normally a 2 man operation with a radar operator and a pick up man. The pick up man was parked in a marked patrol car a few hundred feet away from the operator who would signal him by radio when a violator was approaching. The speeding vehicle would be identified to the pick man who would then flag or direct the violator to pull to the side of the road where a summons was issued. This practice was continued until 1987, when Trooper Calvin P. Kurdys was killed by a speeding car on the Thruway at Pembroke, NY.  He had tried to direct a very high speed violator to pull over while from where he stood on the edge of the pavement. Radar now, is usually a one man operation with the violator clocked and chased by the individual trooper unit.