College police sergeant killed in wrong-way crash in Massachusetts

(WJAR) — Massachusetts State Police said that an Endicott College police sergeant was killed in a crash on I-95 overnight.

According to state police, officials responded to I-95 between New Hampshire and Massachusetts at around midnight for a report of a wrong-way driver driving south.

Troopers found the wrong-way vehicle through the Newburyport area and followed the vehicle while others set up a tire-deflation device in Georgetown, officials said.

State police said before the wrong-way vehicle reached Georgetown, it struck a Chevrolet Trailblazer in Newbury.

The driver of the Chevrolet Trailblazer, 49-year-old Jeremy Cole of Exeter, New Hampshire, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to state police.

Cole was an Endicott College police sergeant.

Authorities said the driver of the wrong-way vehicle, a man in his 40s from southeastern Massachusetts, was seriously injured and was taken to a Boston hospital.

State police said he is expected to face charges in relation with the crash.

Endicott College Chief of Police Kerry Ramsdell said Cole was driving home after his evening shift when he was involved in the crash.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for our department. We are heartbroken by this unimaginable loss. Sgt. Cole was not only a dedicated public servant and prior recipient of a lifesaving award, but also a cherished member of our team,” Ramsdell said in a statement. “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. We are committed to supporting them in any way we can through this unimaginable grief.”

Both directions of I-95 were closed in the area for several hours, according to Massachusetts State Police.