Somerville Officer Injured In N.H. Crash Dies

A decorated Massachusetts police officer who died a day after being struck by another vehicle while riding his motorcycle off-duty was remembered Tuesday for his professionalism, courage and friendliness.

Somerville Officer Louis Remigio, 55, died at the hospital late Monday night, Mayor Joseph Curtatone and Police Chief David Fallon said.

"If you want an officer responding to you when you're in need, you want it to be Officer Remigio," Fallon said. "Brave, courageous, gentle, empathetic, kind ... he epitomized 21st century policing."

Remigio received multiple awards and numerous commendations, the mayor and chief said. He most recently served as a motorcycle officer in the department's traffic unit.

"His loss will be immeasurable in the Somerville Police Department, and today we grieve as a community for Officer Remigio, for his family, and for his brothers and sisters in the Somerville Police Department," Curtatone said.

Remigio's body was taken from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to a Somerville funeral home on Tuesday in a hearse escorted by dozens of motorcycle officers from multiple departments.

Remigio, whose wife died last year, is survived by two adult daughters.

A 30-year veteran who lived in Tewksbury, Remigio sustained severe injuries in the crash on Interstate 95 south in North Hampton, New Hampshire, on Sunday morning. He was off-duty at the time.

New Hampshire police say Remigio was struck by a vehicle driven by Michael Ricci, 18, of Burlington, Massachusetts. Ricci may have been racing other vehicles and veered from the northbound lanes into oncoming traffic, police said. Ricci was not hurt.

Ricci was released on $10,000 bail pending his arraignment Oct. 20 on a charge of felony reckless conduct. The investigation is ongoing.

A listed number for what appeared to be Ricci's family had been disconnected Tuesday. It could not immediately be determined if he had a lawyer.