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Mass State Police hire firm to independently review fatal 2023 cruiser crash

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Mass State Police hire firm to independently review fatal 2023 cruiser crash


The Massachusetts State Police hired an outside firm to review how the agency handled a fatal cruiser crash involving an allegedly drunk officer more than two years after the incident occurred.

State Police Sgt. Scott Quigley is accused of having a blood alcohol level above the legal limit when he crashed his cruiser head-on into a wheelchair van in Dec. 2023, causing injuries to one of its occupants, Angelo Schettino, who later died.

The allegations came to light in a wrongful death suit that Schettino’s family originally filed in Essex County against the van company that now includes the Mass State Police.

The revelation has sent ripples through the state, pausing the Lowell murder trial of brothers Billy, Channa, and Billoeum Phan earlier this month. Quigley had been a key investigator in the case when he was embedded with the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office.

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Middlesex DA Marian Ryan had asked the State Police to initiate the independent investigation after learning about the fatality in the crash and Quigley’s alleged blood alcohol level in January, more than two years after the incident.

“In the interest of transparency and in order to promote public confidence — and to ensure justice for any potential victims — I am requesting that you immediately appoint an independent investigator to conduct a full and fair inquiry into why no notification was made to this office,” she wrote in a Feb 4 letter to State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble.

In Nobel’s reply, dated Feb. 20, he wrote that investigators from the national firm 21CP Solutions will conduct the review, “focused on the handling of this incident and the internal policies and controls that should have ensured timely awareness and notification.”

The independent investigators will examine how the MSP currently handles serious on-duty incidents, including their notification process, supervisor response, and documentation policies.

“A serious incident resulting in the loss of life demands timely notification, rigorous oversight and complete accountability,” Noble wrote. “Any deviation from these expectations is unacceptable, falls short of public expectations and risks undermining confidence in the justice system.”

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At the end of the review, the investigators will recommend changes to training, policy, and procedure.

The review will run parallel to a Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office investigation into Quigley, examining whether the officer will face criminal charges linked to the crash.



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Joyous occasion: Boston celebrates new beginnings, local pride

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Joyous occasion: Boston celebrates new beginnings, local pride


Half of the city turned out this weekend to celebrate what’s great about Boston — its people.

On sunny or snowy days, Bostonians will help you out. The Tartan Army from Scotland and Norwegian soccer fans witnessed that last week.

This time, the surprise was all local.

“I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” said George Regan, as he gazed at nearly 300 people who showed up for the christening of his son, George Kenneth Regan IV.

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“Teach number four to be a really wonderful person and he’ll teach it to number five,” said former Gov. Charlie Baker, who said that’s the secret to life. Baker himself is the fourth Charlie, with a son the fifth. We all stand on those who came before us, the former governor added.

Work will come around soon enough, but Saturday was a celebration that started at St. Gregory Parish in Dorchester and finished with a reception at Davio’s in the Seaport.

Regan, founder and CEO of the Regan Communications Group, welcomed everyone alongside his wife, Elizabeth, and their new baby boy.

Former Mayor Ray Flynn said it best: Reagan has “stood up for people who needed you.”

There’s not enough ink in this paper to chronicle how connections keep Boston thriving. That’s the space where Regan’s PR firm operates. There are plenty of other similar agencies; it’s just that George Regan has been at the helm of his group since he left former Mayor Kevin White’s office.

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Maybe that’s what makes dealing with him so rewarding. Kevin White loved Boston, and that rubbed off on everyone who worked for him.

Former police commissioners Bill Bratton and William “Willie” Gross both spoke as did UMass President Marty Meehan, Denella J. Clark, president and CEO of Boston Arts Academy Foundation, Steve DiFillippo, Davio’s owner, and more.

Former Herald editor Ken Chandler, newly reelected Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, and car magnate Herb Chambers were some of the notables in the crowd.

“Elizabeth and I are honored to welcome our miracle child into the faith alongside the remarkable circle of friends, mentors, and partners who have stood with us through every chapter,” said Regan, who was just recently sick.

But, like Boston, you can’t keep a good man down.

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Howie Carr: Meet another Massachusetts ‘resident’ lugged by the feds

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Howie Carr: Meet another Massachusetts ‘resident’ lugged by the feds


When Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is informed of the latest scandal, indictment, or attempted billion-dollar bid-rigging etc., she inevitably claims to be as astonished as everyone else.


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Swimmer pulled from Houghton’s Pond after search

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Swimmer pulled from Houghton’s Pond after search


A teenager was pulled from a pond in Milton, Massachusetts, after he went missing while swimming Saturday night.

The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said the teenaged male was taken to a Boston area hospital following the incident at Houghton’s Pond. It’s unclear how long the teen was under water, and there was no immediate word on his condition.

State police had said earlier that they responded to the pond shortly after 7 p.m. for a person who entered the water and didn’t resurface. State police divers, detectives, troopers, and the Milton Fire Department were all on scene involved in the search.

The DA’s office is conducting an investigation with state police that remains ongoing. Further information is not being released at this time.

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This story will be updated when we learn more



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