Vigil held for National Grid worker killed in Waltham crash

CAMBRIDGE, Mass — Mourners gathered around candlelight in Cambridge Saturday night in a somber vigil for the National Grid worker killed when a hit-and-driver barreled into a worksite earlier this month.

Family, friends and hundreds of mourners gathered in memory of 36-year-old Roderick Jackson outside Hoyt Field.

Roderick Jackson of Cambridge was working with a National Grid team on Totten Pond Road when prosecutors say 54-year-old Peter Simon, of New Hampshire, veered his pickup truck into the work area, hitting and killing him, as well as 58-year-old Waltham officer Paul Tracey.

His family also says he played basketball at Framingham State University, helped local hospitals, and even ran his own laundromat.

The utility company said Jackson had been working as a technician on the gas operations team since early 2021.

“He was a highly respected, talented, and selfless teammate who worked extremely hard, took on extra duties, and had built strong friendships with members of his team,” a National Grid spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday. “He was always willing to lend a hand, roll up his sleeves, and help a colleague. His loss is deeply felt throughout the company, and he will be sorely missed.”

Two other National Grid workers were hospitalized with injuries suffered in the crash. They have since been released.

Waltham Police Chief Kevin O’Connell remembered Tracey as an “amazing” father and husband who served his department and the city with “great distinction.”

Simon is being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on Dec. 14.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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