Details released after on-duty Massachusetts police officer, utility worker killed, suspect arrested, concerning crash at site

WALTHAM – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Waltham Chief of Police Kevin O’Connell have confirmed that a man is under arrest after striking and killing a Waltham Police officer and a National Grid utility worker on Totten Pond Road in Waltham earlier Wednesday.

At approximately 4:00 p.m. today, Peter Simon, 54 of Woodsville, NH was operating a pickup truck eastbound on Totten Pond Road in Waltham when he pulled to the side of the road and suddenly turned back into the roadway in an attempt to execute a U-turn. He struck a vehicle traveling eastbound, then continued driving forward for approximately a quarter mile before fatally striking Waltham Police Officer Paul Tracey, 58 of Waltham and the utility worker, a 36-year-old Cambridge man. Officer Tracey, a 28-year veteran, was working a police detail at a National Grid work site at the time of the crash. In addition to the 36-year-old worker, two other National Grid employees were injured. One of those employees was also transported to the hospital where he was treated and released.

After striking the victims the suspect continued on, striking multiple other vehicles before abandoning his truck and fleeing on foot. The suspect encountered another Waltham officer who had responded to the scene, and allegedly pulled a knife on the officer before stealing his police cruiser and again fleeing. The suspect crashed the cruiser on Winter Street, and fled once again. He was apprehended and arrested by a Waltham Police Officer after a brief foot chase.

Simon has been charged with two counts of manslaughter and armed robbery. He will be arraigned Thursday in Waltham District Court. Additional charges are likely.

This is an active and ongoing investigation being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Waltham Police and Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office. A reconstruction of the crash will be conducted by the Massachusetts State Police Crash Analysis Reconstruction Section. The prosecutors assigned to this case are Christopher Tarrant and Michael Klunder.