WALTHAM, Mass. — A pickup truck driver accused of hitting and killing a police officer and a utility worker at a suburban Boston workplace, then pulling a knife on another officer before stealing his cruiser, has been indicted on two counts of second-degree murder and other charges, prosecutors and police said Wednesday.
Peter Simon, 54, of Woodsville, New Hampshire, is also charged with motor vehicle homicide, armed robbery, armed carjacking, failure to stop for police, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and other charges involving arising from the accidents of December 6. in Waltham, the district attorney’s office and Middlesex police said. He will be arraigned at a later date and is being held without bail.
Waltham police officer Paul Tracey, 58, and National Grid utility worker Roderick Jackson, 36, of Cambridge, were killed in the incident.
Simon’s attorney, Lynda Dantas, said by email Wednesday afternoon that she had not seen the charges and could not comment.
Simon was driving when he pulled to the side of the road to try to make a U-turn before veering back onto the road and hitting a vehicle, prosecutors and police said. He continued driving and hit Tracey and Jackson in a utility work zone, a gully marked by orange cones, signs and yellow flashing lights, prosecutors said. Tracey worked as a police detail in the workplace.
The pickup truck also struck a National Grid truck before hitting several other vehicles, prosecutors said. Simon then abandoned his truck, fled on food and pulled a knife on another police officer, stole his cruiser and fled, officials said. He crashed the cruiser and was arrested.
Waltham is located about 10 miles west of Boston.