United Steelworkers mourn National Grid employee killed in Waltham crash
The United Steelworkers International expressed their condolences to the family of Roderick Jackson[1], mourning his death after he was killed in a crash at a construction site in Waltham Wednesday night, the union said in a statement.
Jackson[2], a 36-year-old National Grid employee from Cambridge was working at a National Grid site on Totten Pond Road in Waltham[3]. The truck also killed on-duty Waltham police Officer Paul Tracey[4], 58, the Middlesex District Attorney announced. Tracey was Jackson’s police detail.
The union said it and USW Local 12003 “mourn the passing of our brother, Roderick Jackson…
Three other members of USW 12003 were also injured in the accident that took brother Jackson’s life,” the union’s statement read, “and our community is united in good wishes for their full recovery.”
United Steelworkers and USW Local 12003 added that they “send our sincere condolences to the family of Waltham Police Officer Paul Tracey, killed in the line of duty in the same accident.”
National Grid said Jackson had joined the team in early 2021 as a gas operations team technician.
“He was a highly-respected, talented and selfless teammate who worked extremely hard, took on extra duties and had built strong friendships with members on his team,” National Grid shared.
“He was always willing to lend a hand, roll up his sleeves and help a colleague. His loss is deeply felt throughout the company and he will be sorely missed.”
The suspected driver, Peter Simon, 54, of Woodsville, New Hampshire, was charged in Waltham District Court Thursday with two counts of manslaughter and several motor vehicle charges, such as unlicensed operation. He pleaded not guilty and was held without bail [7]pending his dangerousness hearing on Dec.
14.
Simon was previously charged in connection with an incident that took place on Aug.
21, 2009, court documents said. He led police[9] on a car chase through Keene, New Hampshire, and hit a public bus head-on, The Brattleboro Reformer reported[10]. He and the other driver both had minor injuries from the crash, and a passenger in the bus was seriously injured but later recovered.
He faced a number of felonies in connection with the crash, but the court accepted his insanity plea.
In 2011, he was sentenced to serve five years in a New Hampshire state prison in a secure psychiatric unit.
Simon was arrested again in New Hampshire on July 23, 2016, according to court documents. Patch.com[11] reported[12] that during this incident, he crashed into another vehicle in Franklin, New Hampshire, before threatening a man and woman and strangling the man.
A fundraiser was created[14] to benefit the victims of the crash and their families.
References
- ^ Roderick Jackson (www.masslive.com)
- ^ Jackson (www.masslive.com)
- ^ Waltham (www.masslive.com)
- ^ Officer Paul Tracey (www.masslive.com)
- ^ Marvin Hill of Brockton ID’d as man killed after Tuesday shooting (www.masslive.com)
- ^ Julia Chapdelaine, Maine crash victim from Dudley, to receive posthumous degree (www.masslive.com)
- ^ held without bail (www.masslive.com)
- ^ Police: Man accused of killing officer, National Grid worker ‘intentionally’ tried to hit other officers (www.masslive.com)
- ^ police (www.masslive.com)
- ^ The Brattleboro Reformer reported (www.reformer.com)
- ^ Patch.com (patch.com)
- ^ reported (patch.com)
- ^ Fundraiser created for victims of Waltham fatal crash (www.masslive.com)
- ^ A fundraiser was created (www.masslive.com)