Local News
Daniel Kennedy died nearly a week after he was allegedly struck by a Lowell police cruiser at UMass Lowell last Thursday.
The pedestrian struck by a police cruiser at UMass Lowell last week died at the hospital Wednesday and was identified as a 60-year-old retired Gloucester Fire lieutenant, officials said.
Daniel Kennedy, of Billerica, was struck by a marked Lowell Police cruiser on Wilder Street outside the McGauvran Center where he was walking around 6:23 p.m. last Thursday, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said.
Kennedy was transported to Lahey Hospital, where he died Wednesday, the DA said. The police officer operating the cruiser was transported to a hospital with minor injuries.
Gloucester Firefighters Local 762/Facebook
“His passing is beyond tragic, and our family is heartbroken,” Kennedy’s family told WHDH. “We look forward to a thorough investigation by the Massachusetts State Police to determine who and what entities caused the events of February 5. We also urge City of Lowell officials and UMass representatives to fully investigate what occurred.”
Kennedy was walking on the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s South Campus, the DA said, where he had recently enrolled as a student following his retirement from the Gloucester Fire Department.
Kennedy, a Desert Storm Marine veteran, went back to school with the intent to work with veterans and their mental health, Gloucester Firefighters Local 762 wrote in a Facebook post announcing his death.
“Dan had a huge heart and truly committed to a life of service,” the union wrote. “We are shocked, and devastated.”
At the time of the crash, a spokesperson for UMass called the incident “tragic.”
“Dan was just a larger than life character,” former Gloucester Fire Deputy Chief Steve Aiello told Channel 7. “He was a firefighter’s firefighter. One of the bravest men I’ve ever worked with. Loved his county, loved the community, loved his daughters, loved his family.”
An investigation conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office, MSP Crash Analysis and Reconstruction Section and MSP Crime Scene Services is ongoing.
Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.
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