BEVERLY, Mass. — A beloved Endicott College police officer was killed early Thanksgiving morning when his vehicle was struck head-on by a wrong-way driver.
Sergeant Jeremy Cole, 49, was driving home after his shift when his SUV was struck by a Tesla that was traveling south on the northbound side of Interstate 95, WCVB reports. Newbury Fire Chief Dave Evans said the crash occurred shortly after midnight near exit 81. Both drivers were trapped in their vehicles and first responders worked for nearly an hour to free them. Cole was pronounced deceased at the scene.
A preliminary investigation revealed the driver, 40-year-old Keoma Duarte, was initially traveling northbound on I-95 in Hampton, N.H., before entering the parking lot of the NH Liquor and Wine Outlet, which was closed at the time. Police said surveillance footage shows Duarte then left through the entrance and began driving the wrong way down the highway.
Duarte was first spotted by a New Hampshire state trooper less than a minute later. Troopers tracked Duarte’s vehicle from the opposite side of the highway and contacted their counterparts in Massachusetts as he approached the state line. Officials said troopers had their lights and sirens on and even shined a spotlight on Duarte’s car to try and get his attention. Massachusetts State Police also prepared a spike strip in nearby Georgetown, Mass., but Duarte struck Cole in Newbury before he reached the tire-deflation device.
RELATED ARTICLE: 9 Changes We Will Soon See in Campus Policing and Public Safety
Duarte was transferred via MedFlight to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston with serious injuries. Prosecutors said investigators found seven empty vodka nips in his car and that his blood alcohol level at the hospital was more than twice the legal limit, according to Boston.com. At the scene, a prosecutor said Duarte’s responses were “hesitant, delayed, and lethargic” and that he “adamantly denied that he had collided with anybody.” The prosecutor also said Duarte has a long record of driving infractions, including “three chargeable accidents” in the past six years.
Duarte was arraigned virtually from his hospital bed Tuesday. He has been charged with motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence of liquor and operating recklessly, manslaughter, and motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation. He also faces civil motor vehicle infractions for driving in the wrong direction on a state highway, speeding, and marked lanes violation. Duarte pleaded not guilty and was ordered held on $500,000 cash bail.
Endicott Community Remember Sergeant Jeremy Cole
Thousands of people gathered at Endicott Tuesday night for a candlelight vigil to honor Cole, who served with the campus police department for 15 years. School officials said Cole was a model for community policing, using his sense of humor to help break down barriers.
“He taught defense courses for women on campus and had just such a big presence on campus, and he was just so sarcastic and funny. He was just a great guy,” said alumna Erin Ward . “This has been really, really tough for everyone involved because it is impacted alumni, students, the community, and it is a loss and I feel so bad for his family.”
In 2021, Cole received the Lifesaving Award from the Massachusetts Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators for his efforts in saving the life of assistant softball coach David Bettencourt, who went into cardiac arrest on campus.
RELATED ARTICLE: How Widener University Infuses Community Connections with Campus Safety
“He was such a bright light on our campus and especially as a [criminal justice] major, I just went to a lot of events where he was there and he could always just brighten up a room,” said student Jessica Cara. “He was just a wonderful soul.”
Campus community members lit candles and wrote letters to Cole’s family. He is survived by his wife and four children.
“We love them, and we’re here for them, and they’re not grieving alone. They have a whole community that loved him, as well,” student Ava Maher said of Cole’s family. “One of the first few weeks on campus, they had a coffee and cookies thing with all of the officers, and I was walking by alone, and J. Cole came up to me and he invited me to join them.”
Endicott College President Steven DiSalvo said the school plans to cover the tuition for Cole’s children should they attend when they are old enough.
