BOSTON — Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Trooper Tamar Bucci was killed in the line of duty Thursday night when her cruiser was struck by a gasoline tanker as she attempted to pull over to assist a disabled motorist.
According to the Massachusetts State Police’s Facebook page, Bucci, who was assigned to the Medford Barracks, was 34.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Colonel Christopher Mason, MSP superintendent, said during a Friday media briefing that Bucci gave “the ultimate sacrifice.”
According to the MSP Facebook post, Bucci’s cruiser was struck by the truck, a tanker carrying a full 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.
Two civilian good Samaritans 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, Trooper Bucci was pronounced deceased at the hospital,” Mason said.
“The department is devastated by her loss. We are eternally grateful for the attempts of everyone involved to assist Trooper Bucci and to save her life.”
The driver of the truck, a Methuen, Massachusetts man, was not injured, according to the MSP, who said he “has been cooperative and was interviewed by troopers.”
The truck is owned by the PJ Murphy company.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
The woman who was in the disabled motor vehicle that 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,” Mason said.
“There is no greater act of sacrifice than to give one’s life for another. 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.”
Mason continued: “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 selfless act embodies the mission of the State Police to help those in need, a mission that we carry on in her memory.”
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
