BIDDEFORD, Maine — An off-duty police sergeant was killed in a crash on a bridge that connects New Hampshire and Maine early Thursday morning, authorities said.
Officers responding to a report of a two-vehicle crash on the southbound side of the Main Turnpike on the high rise of the Piscataqua River Bridge just after 1 a.m. learned a Toyota Camry had rear-ended a box truck, according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.
A preliminary investigation indicated that the box truck was stopped in traffic on the Maine side of the bridge when the Camry, driven by 41-year-old Jacob Wolterbeek of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, crashed into it, Moss said.
Wolterbeek was pronounced dead at the scene.
JoAnne Fisk, the chief of police in Biddeford, Maine, said Wolterbeek was an 18-year veteran of the Biddeford Police Department.
Wolterbeek was on his way home from a shift when the crash occurred, according to Fisk. He leaves behind his wife and three young children.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Biddeford Police Sergeant Jacob Wolterbeek in a tragic accident on his way home at the end of his shift. Sergeant Wolterbeek was an 18-year veteran of the Biddeford Police Department,” Fisk said in a statement. “In this time of sorrow, our thoughts and prayers are with Sergeant Wolterbeek’s family, friends, and colleagues. We extend our deepest condolences and offer our full support to them during this difficult time.”
The southbound lanes on the bridge were shut down for several hours after Wolterbeek’s death.
The crash remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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