State Police captain killed in Route 1 accident

SAUGUS – Massachusetts State Police Capt. Richard J. Cashin, 52, was killed early Wednesday morning when his cruiser struck a utility pole on Route 1 north near the Hess gas station across from York Ford.He was pronounced dead at the scene.According to information provided during a news conference at the Troop A State Police Barracks in Danvers, Cashin’s car, a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria, left the roadway to the right and hit the pole.Saugus Police Lt. Mic-hael Annese said initial rep-orts indicated Cashin was re-sponding to a call about an erratic driver on Route 1 north. But initial investigations by State Police indicated he was traveling between State Police barracks.Cashin, of Boxford, was the overnight shift commander assigned to Danvers, and was married with four children, the youngest age 9.”For 28 years he worked to protect the citizens of Massachusetts and that remained his mission through his last shift (this morning),” said State Police Superintendent Col. Mark Delaney, who described Cashin as a tall, imposing man.”He was a career man devoted to his family. He was a presence when he walked into the room.”Delaney said the initial crash investigation found no other vehicles involved and determined the accident happened before the snow began to fall. State Police said the cruiser’s mechanical condition will be checked to determine if a malfunction contributed to the crash.Annese said road conditions cannot be discounted as a cause of the crash.”As many years as you’ve been on this job, sometimes you forget how slick the roads can be,” he said.The crash remains under investigation with the assistance of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section and the Essex County State Police Detective Unit. The Saugus Fire Department, the Saugus Police Department, the Medical Examiner’s Office and the Massachusetts Highway Department assisted troopers at the scene.Revere Police Capt. Michael Murphy worked with Cashin frequently more than 20 years ago when Cashin was assigned to the Revere barracks with the Metropolitan District Commission Police.”He was an excellent, hard-working guy who was helpful to local departments,” Murphy said.As night-shift commander for Troop A, Cashin was in charge of State Police barracks covering an area extending from Saugus and Revere to the New Hampshire border.The last fatal accident involving a state trooper occurred on June 15, 2006 when Trooper Paul Barry’s cruiser struck a dump truck which was parked on a highway breakdown lane.