A man allegedly driving the wrong-way on Interstate 95 in Newbury, Massachusetts, slammed head on into another vehicle overnight, killing an Endicott College police sergeant who was driving home early on Thanksgiving after leaving his evening shift on campus.
The Newbury Fire Department said it responded just after midnight to the serious motor vehicle crash on I-95 northbound near Exit 81 in Newbury and found two passenger cars had crashed head-on, trapping both drivers inside their cars and closing the roadway in both directions early Thursday as a medical helicopter landed on the highway.
According to Massachusetts State Police, New Hampshire State Police initially reported a wrong-way Tesla traveling south into Mass. on I-95 around midnight. Troopers maintained visual contact with the wrong-way vehicle through the Newburyport area while law enforcement prepared a tire-deflation device in Georgetown.
Before the wrong-way vehicle reached the device, police say the Tesla struck a Chevrolet Trailblazer at mile marker 81.5 in Newbury.
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Firefighters began a "lengthy and delicate" extrication process to free both adult male drivers from the wreckage, the fire department said. After nearly an hour, the men were removed from their vehicles.
The wrong-way Tesla driver sustained serious injuries and was taken by Boston MedFlight to a trauma center. His name has not been released, but police say he is a man in his 40s from southeastern Mass. and he is expected to face charges that will be announced in a subsequent update.
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The Chevrolet driver sustained fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. He has been identified as Endicott College Police Sergeant Jeremy Cole, 49, of Exeter, NH.
"We offer our condolences to the family, loved ones, and colleagues of Sergeant Cole at this difficult time," state police said in their press release.
Endicott College Chief of Police Kerry Ramsdell also released a statement on behalf of the school's public safety and police department expressing their deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to Sgt. Cole's family.
"This is an incredibly difficult time for our department. We are heartbroken by this unimaginable loss," Ramsdell wrote. "Sgt. Cole was not only a dedicated public servant and prior recipient of a lifesaving award, but also a cherished member of our team."
According to Ramsdell, Sgt. Cole had worked an evening shift on Endicott's campus and was driving home early on Thanksgiving morning when he was struck.
“On this Thanksgiving Day, our hearts are with the family, friends, and loved ones of a police officer who reported for duty keeping the rest of us safe and secure but did not return home," Ramsdell said. "We are committed to supporting them in any way we can through this unimaginable grief."
“On behalf of the family of Sgt. Cole, we kindly ask that everyone respects their privacy as they navigate this painful time," Ramsdell continued. "We share in their sorrow, and we are here for them."
Newburyport, Georgetown and Rowley firefighters provided assistance on scene, where one vehicle appeared to be completely mangled from the wreck.
The interstate was closed in both directions for several hours for the safety of motorists and first responders, police said. Portions of I-95 northbound remained closed early Thursday morning during the investigation.
Officials haven't said why the Tesla driver was traveling the wrong direction, or what charges he might be facing. The matter remains under investigation by the state police detectives assigned to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
