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It was a surprising and sentimental coincidence for Carly Longtine, one of two Mount Arlington residents who received this year’s Joseph S. Wargo Memorial Scholarship.
The recent Roxbury High School graduate received the scholarship named in honor of the same Mount Arlington officer who helped her mother give birth to her nearly two decades ago.
“This is a great accomplishment in and of itself, and Carly should be commended for her hard work and dedication to her studies,” the department said in a social media post.
Officer Wargo died in 2011 after his patrol car was struck head-on by a drunk driver on Route 80, his memorial page says.
Wargo, who worked with Hunterdon County Corrections as well as police departments in Clinton and Lebanon before settling in Mount Arlington, was known for saving several lives with CPR and even delivering a baby while on duty in 2002.
Eighteen years later, the baby grew up to be Longtine, who was chosen for the scholarship by a third-party panel based on an essay and student records as opposed to the department itself.
“Why is this significant in Carly's case?” the post says. “It just so happens that in 2002, Carly's mother was pregnant, and Carly was in a hurry to be born — so much so that Carly was delivered at home, and Joe Wargo was one of two Mount Arlington Police Officers that helped deliver Carly," says the post, which was flooded with comments calling the coincidence “incredible” and “meant to be.”
Longtine is now pursuing nursing at the University of Rhode Island.
“All of us here at the police department are very proud of her accomplishments thus far and look forward to great things in the future,” the post reads. “Good luck in college.”
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