Former England rugby player Tom Voyce feared dead after car went into a river

NORTHUMBERLAND, England (AP) — Former England rugby international Tom Voyce is missing and feared dead after his car was recovered from a flood-swollen river, police said Tuesday.

Northumbria Police believe the 43-year-old Voyce attempted to drive across a section of the River Aln near Alnwick, a town about 30 miles north of Newcastle, when his car was caught in the current.

"Officers have since recovered his car, but sadly Tom is yet to be found,” police said in statement on X. “It is believed in his attempts to escape he has been swept away and tragically died.”

Police received a report Sunday morning that Voyce had not returned to his home from the previous evening, when he was out with friends.

Police said it had carried out extensive enquiries.

Voyce, who played wing and fullback, won nine caps for England from 2001 to 2006. He played for Wasps from 2003 to 2009, winning European and domestic titles. He also played for Bath and Gloucester, making 220 Premiership appearances before retiring in May 2013.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Tom Voyce at this extremely challenging time,” England Rugby posted on X.

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Members of a search and rescue team arrive at River Aln near Alnwick, north of Newcastle, England where former England rugby player Tom Voyce, who is missing, apparently attempted to drive across a section of the river, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Members of a search and rescue team conduct a search operation at Abberwick Ford on the River Aln near Alnwick, north of Newcastle, England for former England rugby player Tom Voyce who is missing, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

FILE - England's Tom Voyce completes a try despite a tackle from Argentina's Luccio Lopez Fleming during Churchill Cup Final rugby action in Edmonton, June 26, 2005. (John Ulan/The Canadian Press via AP, file)

FILE - Tom Voyce of Wasps, center, is tackled by Perpignan's Gavin Hume, right, as Perpignan's David Marty looks on, left, during their European Rugby Cup match in Perpignan, southwestern France, Oct. 28 2006. (AP Photo/Remy Gabalda, file)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)