Owner of pickup truck damaged by fleeing suspect in deadly Waltham crash describes aftermath of incident

WALTHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - The owner of a pickup truck damaged in a deadly series of crashes in Waltham last week is now opening up about the incident, describing the aftermath of the moment when he said a stolen police cruiser driven by the suspect in this case crashed into his truck. The crash happened on Wednesday of last week at the end of a chain of events that started on nearby Totten Pond Road. A Waltham police officer and a utility worker were killed in one crash.

Multiple other people were injured. Peter Simon, 54, of New Hampshire is now facing charges, accused of crashing his pickup truck into a utility worksite on Totten Pond Road before later stealing a police cruiser at knifepoint and leading officers on a chase. On Winter Street, where the chase ended, Nassir Sabrah told 7NEWS he was trying to clear his yard of leaves when he realized he had an emergency situation on his hands.

"I'm so lucky he didn't hit me here because I would be dead," Sabrah said. Sabrah did not actually see or hear the impact of the crash due to his leaf blowing. But he saw the aftermath and said he didn't know what to think as he took in the scene.

Authorities identified the police officer who was killed as Paul Tracey. The utility worker was later identified as National Grid employee Roderick Jackson. "It's a really sad situation," Sabrah said.

Recalling Wednesday's events, Sabrah said he first thought the line of police cars turning onto his dead-end street might be coming to arrest him. Adding to his confusion, he said he was unaware a Verizon employee had stopped by his house to fix his internet connection. "The Verizon guy looked like a cop," he said. "...I asked 'What did I do?

Why are all the police here?'" "I just didn't know my car had been hit," Sabrah continued. "Then I saw the cruiser and I said 'Wow!'" Sabrah said the Verizon employee came close to getting seriously injured in the crash on Winter Street as he had been standing on a walkway near the driveway.

"He was really shocked," Sabrah said. "He said 'We are lucky we're not dead.'" Sabrah spoke to 7NEWS on Monday and shared video he took not long after Peter Simon's arrest. In video, debris can be scattered around the area while gas leaks from a ruptured tank.

Sabrah said his insurance company told him it will not pay for the damage to his truck because it was involved in a crash with a stolen vehicle. Now, Sabrah said he is hoping Simon's insurance will cover the cost of the damage. Sabrah said he is also sending his best wishes to the families of the victims.

Officer Tracey[1] will be laid to rest on Friday, with his funeral scheduled for 10 a.m. at Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted in Waltham. Services Roderick Jackson will take place on Saturday in Cambridge.

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References

  1. ^ Officer Tracey (whdh.com)