Haverhill man sentenced to prison for crash involving a state trooper

LOWELL, Mass. — A Haverhill man will serve 18 months in prison for a crash that critically injured a state trooper. A judge sentenced Kevin Francis Monday morning at a court in Lowell after a jury on Friday found him guilty of negligent operation of a vehicle.

Francis was driving the car that hit and injured trooper Thomas Devlin in July of 2018 on route 3 in Billerica.

Trooper Devlin died in September 2020, more than two years after the accident. At one time Francis was charged with vehicular homicide.

But as 25 investigates reported, that charge was dropped in March, after the medical examiner revised Devlin’s death certificate.

Last week the case took another surprising turn after Francis withdrew his guilty plea and opted for a jury trial.

In a statement, State Police Superintendent called the sentence *fair* and said it “underscores the critical importance of the move over law, and should remind drivers of the need to give space to first responders, tow drivers, highways workers, and others who are called to do important jobs on our roads.”

Trooper Devlin is survived by his wife and four children.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2022 Cox Media Group