Plaque on the tree of Justin Brown’s motorcycle crash. Reads: “In Memory of Correction Officer J. Brown End Of Watch April 13th, 2026.
PHoto Credit: Katie Hellmuth

A Fishkill Corrections Officer, Justin Brown, died on Monday, April 13th, 2026, after crashing on his motorcycle on his way to work at the prison, according to his wife and the Beacon Police. Officer Brown was 33 years old and leaves behind his wife Cicily Brown and their son Gabriel. According to the Highlands Current, Officer Brown joined the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in 2018 and currently worked at the Fishkill Corrections Facility. According to someone who knew him, Officer Brown was a Corrections Emergency Response Team member.

The Beacon Police stated on their Facebook page: “At approximately 2:42 pm the Beacon Police Department responded to Matteawan Road in the area of Deer Run for a call for a single vehicle auto accident involving a motorcycle. Sadly, upon arrival the driver, a 33 year old male from Gardiner, NY was deceased. Our thoughts are with him and his loved ones.”

Intersection of Deer Run and Matteawan past the Beacon High School on the property of Fishkill Correctional Facility.

That strip of Matteawan Road is on the property of the Fishkill Correctional Facility, past the Beacon High School, where no through traffic is allowed, except for student traffic during pickup and drop off times. 2:42pm on a Monday is during student pickup time, when students drive themselves home, parents and caregivers pick up, and buses drive through. The Beacon Police stated this was a single-vehicle auto-accident, meaning no other vehicle was reported at this time to have made impact.

According to their release, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the accident reconstruction and the staff of Fishkill Correctional Facility secured the scene. According to the Highlands Current quoting Beacon Police Chief Figlia, the cause of the accident is under investigation, and a helmet was recovered at the scene.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth

Wrote his wife Cecily on the family’s GoFundMe page: “It is often the simplest truths that cut the deepest, and the truth is: Justin was taken from us far too soon. His life was tragically lost in a motorcycle accident during his commute to work, a moment that should have been ordinary, but instead became unimaginable. As always, my husband was on his way to do what he always did: provide for our family.

“His loss is not just tragic it is devastating. I will feel it in the quiet moments at home, in the absence of his laughter and his smile, as well as in the milestones he should have been here to witness with us all. His missing presence will be felt by our family, friends, colleagues, and all the lives he touched, from now and forever.”

A call to support a fallen rider was made by the Hudson Valley Biker Network, hosted at the Barking Front in Beacon on Rte. 52 last Thursday.

The funeral was on Friday at Copeland-Hammerl Funeral Home in New Paltz. He lived with his family in Gardiner, NY.

Said his wife: “Justin was a Correction Officer, a husband, a father, a son, a brother, and a friend. He was a truly honorable, sincere, and good man, the foundation upon which our family was built. To me, he was a best friend and partner of 20 years. To our 7-year-old son, Gabriel, he was a hero, a protector, and a guiding light. To those who worked beside him, he was respected, dependable, and considered “the epitome of what a C.O. should be.

“Born in Yonkers and later building our life together in Gardiner, New York, Justin carried a quiet strength and a deep sense of responsibility. At just 33 years old, he lived a life rooted in love, commitment, and sacrifice, always working to provide us with security, comfort, and unconditional love. He worked hard every single day not for recognition, but for his family, his most valued treasure.”

Donations to support his family during this time are ongoing, and can be made at their GoFundMe.