BEVERLY, Mass. — Hundreds of candles illuminated the seaside campus of Endicott College in remembrance of a 15-year veteran of the school’s police department.
A school spokesperson said as many as 850 students attended a vigil on Tuesday night in memory of Sgt. Jeremy Cole.
Cole was killed while driving home to New Hampshire from the school’s campus in Beverly on the night before Thanksgiving.
The married father of four was pronounced dead on scene after his Chevrolet Trailblazer was hit head-in on I-95 in Newbury by a wrong-way Tesla.
The accused wrong-way driver was arraigned Tuesday morning from the hospital bed where he’s been since Thanksgiving morning.
Keoma Durate, 40, of New Bedford, pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence of liquor, and motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation.
“We’ll let the justice system do its job. That’s what it’s for,” said Beverly Officer Sean Gannon, who used to work at Endicott College.
Officer Gannon received a lifesaving award alongside Sgt. Cole in 2021 for saving the life of an assistant softball coach who went into cardiac arrest on campus.
He said Sgt. Cole had a profound impact on the tight-knit North Shore campus and always brightened the spirits of others.
“He was a funny guy. Never in a bad mood,” recalled Officer Gannon. “Everybody knows him. You could probably sit in an office and do this job, but he didn’t.”
Sgt. Cole was memorialized as a ‘father figure’ and ‘a protector’ to students at Tuesday night’s vigil.
“He had a personal connection with each and every student,” said Endicott senior Sarah Aylwin. “He really was like a best friend and someone you could look up to.”
A GoFundMe page set up to support the wife and four kids Sgt. Cole leaves behind has raised more than $100,000.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2024 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
