WATCH: Hundreds of cops, grieving friends & family gather at wake for fallen Waltham police officer
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/QNSEMYUK6JDH5LMA4Z5OH3M2JQ.jpeg)
WALTHAM, Mass. — Services for the Waltham police officer who was killed in a hit-and-run crash[1] last week begin Thursday afternoon with a wake that will be attended by hundreds of first responders and law enforcement officials from across the region.
Paul Tracey, 58, of Waltham, was a 28-year-old veteran of the Waltham Police Department.
Tracey lost his life when authorities say 54-year-old Peter Simon, of Woodsville, New Hampshire, crashed his pickup truck into a worksite on Totten Pond Road last week.
Tracey’s wake is being held from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Church in Waltham.
Ahead of the ceremony, busloads of police officers, firefighters, and members of various agencies, as well as grieving friends and family, gathered outside to await an opportunity to pay their respects.
ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 19
Wake for fallen Waltham Police Officer Paul Tracey
Powerful aerial video showed a sea of people in black and blue waiting outside the church as a massive American flag fluttered in the breeze overhead.
Dozens of members of law enforcement, family, and friends will then gather on Friday, at 10 a.m., for a funeral mass at the same church.
Waltham Police Chief Kevin O’Connell remembered Tracey as an “amazing” father and husband[2] who served his department and the city with “great distinction.”
The crash also claimed the life of Roderick Jackson[3], a 36-year-old National Grid worker from Cambridge.
His family remembered him as a “treasure chest,” “legend,” and the “most selfless man.”
The family of Jackson is planning on taking legal action[4] and an attorney for the family says Simon, who is accused of driving into a worksite was a ”habitual offender and shouldn’t be driving in the first place.”
A public funeral for Roderick Jackson is planned for Saturday morning in Cambridge.
Waltham Public Schools will be closed on Friday.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.[5]
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW[6][7][8]
(C)2023 Cox Media Group
References
- ^ killed in a hit-and-run crash (www.boston25news.com)
- ^ remembered Tracey as an “amazing” father and husband (www.boston25news.com)
- ^ Roderick Jackson (www.boston25news.com)
- ^ planning on taking legal action (www.boston25news.com)
- ^ FREE Boston 25 News app (www.boston25news.com)
- ^ Facebook (www.facebook.com)
- ^ Twitter (twitter.com)
- ^ Watch Boston 25 News NOW (www.boston25news.com)