BOSTON, MA – The Massachusetts State Police are mourning the loss of a trooper killed in a roadside crash Thursday night while helping a stranded motorist.
The MSP said in a release today, Trooper Tamar Bucci was killed in the line of duty last night when her cruiser was struck by a gasoline tanker as she attempted to pull over to assist a disabled motorist. Trooper Bucci, who was assigned to the Medford Barracks, was 34.
“The investigation into the crash is ongoing. This morning, Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, gave the following remarks in a media briefing announcing Trooper Bucci’s death.It is with great sadness that I announce the line of duty death of Massachusetts State Police Trooper Tamar Bucci, who gave the ultimate sacrifice shortly before midnight when her cruiser was struck by a tractor-trailer on Route 93 Northbound in Stoneham,” the MSP said.
According to a statement released today, Trooper Bucci’s cruiser was struck by the truck, a tanker carrying a fill load of 10,000 gallons of gasoline, as she attempted to pull to the side of the road to assist a disabled motorist at approximately 11:45 p.m. The force of the impact pushed her cruiser, a marked Ford Interceptor SUV with its emergency blue lights activated, off the road.
There was help for Trooper Bucci as two bystanders jumped into action and pulled Bucci from the heavily damaged cruiser and a Stoneham Police Officer who came upon the scene performed emergency first aid, including CPR, until EMS arrived and transported her to Massachusetts General Hospital.
“Despite the heroic efforts of the civilians, the Stoneham Officer, the Armstrong ambulance crew, and the emergency room staff at MGH, Trooper Bucci was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The Department is devasted by her loss. We are eternally grateful for the attempts of everyone involved to assist Trooper Bucci and to save her life,” The MSP said.
Trooper Bucci was 34 years old and was assigned to State Police-Medford, since last month. Prior to that, she was assigned to the Brookfield Barracks after graduating as a member of the 85th Recruit Training Troop on May 6, 2020.
The MSP issued the following statement about Trooper Bucci’s career:
Before joining the Massachusetts State Police, Trooper Bucci was employed by the security department at Encore Casino and also worked as a personal trainer. She was a graduate of Middlesex Community College and Andover High School.
She is survived by her mother and her father, two sisters, a step-sister, and a step-brother. She is also survived by her other family, the 2,000-plus men and women of the Massachusetts State Police, many of whom came to MGH overnight to grieve and support one another as word of her passing spread.
The driver of the truck, a Methuen man, was not injured. He has been cooperative and was interviewed by Troopers earlier this morning. The truck is owned by the PJ Murphy company. The investigation into the crash is ongoing and is being conducted by Troop A along with the MSP’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services Section, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section, and State Police Detective Unit for Middlesex County. At this time, there are no charges.
The woman who was in the disabled motor vehicle that Trooper Bucci was trying to help was transported to an area hospital for evaluation.
“Late last night, on a stretch of road that she protected every night during the midnight shift, Trooper Bucci gave her life in the act of trying to help another person in distress. There is no greater act of sacrifice than to give one’s life for another,” the MSP said. “She is the 22d member of the Massachusetts State Police to die in the line of duty. Her death is a reminder of the dangers that Troopers and all police officers face on a daily basis to protect society.”
“We are heartbroken by this tragedy, and resolve to continue our mission to protect and serve by following the example set by Trooper Bucci in her brief MSP career and her life that was cut short far too soon. The tremendous outpouring of support shown by Troopers and local officers at the hospital is testimony to the respect and admiration that Trooper Bucci earned within her chosen field in less than two years wearing the badge,” her troop command said in a statement. “Her selfless act embodies the mission of the State Police to help those in need, a mission that we carry on in her memory.”