Police officer victim in fatal wrong way accident

May 23, 2016 12:01 pm

Jamestown Police Officer, Ryan Bourque was killed by a wrong-way driver early Monday morning on I-95 South.

The accident happened just after midnight. Police say the whole thing was caught on camera.

Captain John Allen says the driver Dejae Pizzaro took a U-turn near exit 6A heading in the wrong direction speeding in the fast lane. Police say he slammed head on into a dodge charger driven by Bourque right near exit 7. The 24-year-old officer and Pizarro from Bedford Mass were killed.

"It’s sad all around,” said Captain Allen. “Coming home from work. He had just gotten off work in Jamestown at 11 o’clock heading to his house and had a head on collision with this guy going the wrong way."

Police are not sure why the 23-year-old took that fatal U-turn.

"The good Samaritan that had called she indicated later that they were beeping their horn trying to get the attention of the operator going the wrong way and at one point he had just sped up and they were unable to keep up,” said Allen.

Bourque had just finished up a night shift coincidentally his first anniversary on the job.

A flood of condolences have been pouring into social media as the word of his death spreads.

One police academy member writing, "One year ago yesterday we were celebrating the end of a long 20 weeks in the police academy, it’s hard to believe I’m posting this. 124 will never forget you brother, RIP Ryan."

Another posting a message reading in part, “One thing I never wanted to do was go to a police funeral, especially for one of my brothers that I went through hell with…"

A friend sharing these heartbreaking words… "It’s hard to believe life can be so cruel sometimes. I never saw you not have a smile on your face every time you came in the bank…"

The Chief of the Jamestown Police Department too upset to talk on camera, but he told us that officer Bourque loved his job and the community. He called him a humble and respectful young man.

Police are still investigating the crash, they believe Pizarro had been at a graduation party earlier in the evening.

Toxicology reports will be done to determine if drugs and alcohol were in the Bedford man’s system.