Man indicted on murder charges after fatal crash that killed Massachusetts police officer

WALTHAM – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Waltham Chief of Police Kevin O’Connell have confirmed that a Middlesex County grand jury has indicted Peter Simon, 54 of Woodsville, NH for two counts of second-degree murder and other charges in connection with fatally striking Waltham Police Officer Paul Tracey, 58 of Waltham and National Grid employee Roderick Jackson, 36 of Cambridge.

At approximately 4:00 p.m. on December 6, 2023, Peter Simon 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 striking a vehicle traveling eastbound, He then continued driving forward for approximately a quarter mile before fatally striking Waltham Police Officer Paul Tracey and Roderick Jackson.  After striking the victims the defendant continued on, striking multiple other vehicles before abandoning his truck and fleeing on foot. The defendant subsequently 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 before he was arrested by a Waltham Police Officer.

The subsequent investigation and a reconstruction of the crash conducted by the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section concluded that the defendant was accelerating at full throttle, traveling approximately 62-63 miles per hour at the time of the crash.

Peter Simon has been indicted on two counts of second degree murder, two counts of motor vehicle homicide, armed robbery, armed carjacking, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, larceny of a motor vehicle, four counts of operating to endanger, three counts of leaving the scene causing property damage, leaving the scene causing death, failure to stop for police, two counts of wanton destruction of property and resisting arrest.

He is currently being held without bail and will be arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court at a later date.

This investigation being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Waltham Police and Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office.  The prosecutors assigned to this case are Christopher Tarrant and Michael Klunder. The victim witness advocate is Susie Marshall.