Mashpee police investigating officers' pursuit before fatal Cotuit crash

COTUIT, Mass. — When two vehicles collided head-on, killing both drivers, over the weekend, Mashpee Police may have been pursuing the man accused in connection to a 2015 murder.

Mashpee Police confirm officers were involved in a pursuit in the early morning hours of July 28 when the fatal crash happened.

Chief Scott Carline released a statement Wednesday declining to comment on what he called 'an internal investigation' into what happened that night.

Two people died and one person was left in critical condition after the crash early Saturday morning.

Kevin Quinn, 32, was a new father and was on his way home from visiting his wife and newborn daughter in the hospital when the crash claimed his life.

"It’s just an unbelievable tragedy that he lost his life that way from someone who was running from police," said Denise Kalback, a friend of Kevin Quinn.

The other driver killed in the crash, 22-year-old Mickey Rivera, was due to appear in court Tuesday in connection to a 2015 murder.

According to her family, 24-year-old Jocelyn Goyette, the passenger inside Rivera's car, was pronounced dead in the hospital on Sunday night. Goyette's family says she is donating her organs.

According to Mashpee Police guidelines sent to Boston 25 News by Chief Carline, "a vehicular pursuit is authorized when the need to apprehend a suspect fleeing in a motor vehicle outweighs the risk created by the pursuit."

The Department's pursuit policy adds: "If the degree of danger to the public, the pursuing officer(s) and/or the suspect(s) is great than the necessity for immediate apprehension, a pursuit shall not be initiated, or if in progress, terminated."

Mashpee Police sent Boston 25 News the following statement:

The internal investigation into the facts and circumstances leading up to the tragic motor vehicle crash on July 28, 2018 is active and ongoing at this time. It would be inappropriate for me to comment on an active internal investigation until all the facts have been gathered regarding this incident. The focus of the internal investigation is to determine if the actions of the police officers involved in the pursuit are consistent with the Mashpee Police Department's policy regarding police pursuits.

MORE: 25 Investigates: State Police logged 900 pursuits in 5 years

Governor Charlie Baker said he feels terrible for Quinn's family.

"I'm a father. I have three kids. I can't imagine for Kevin Quinn's mom and dad -- what this must be like. I can't imagine what it must be like for his wife." Baker said.

Baker said he wanted state lawmakers to address the reason Rivera was free on bail.

"I think it’s really important for the courts to dig into this one," Baker said. "Dangerousness needs to be a much larger part of the way our courts make decisions but I think we're probably going to have to put some changes in state law in place to make that happen."

A Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling from last year says judges must consider a defendant's financial ability to pay when setting bail. It was just weeks after that ruling that Rivera's bail was reduced and he was able to post it and get released.

Visiting hours for Quinn will be held on Sunday, Aug 5 in Mashpee and the funeral will follow on Monday, Aug 6.

Cox Media Group