MASHPEE, MASS. (WHDH) - A police pursuit in July that led to a crash that claimed the lives of three people, including a father who was returning home from a hospital after visiting with his wife and newborn daughter, “should have been terminated,” according to Mashpee Police Chief Scott Carline.
Mashpee police attempted to initiate a motor vehicle stop on a car driven by Mickey Rivera, of Fall River, on July 28, due to an array of moving violations. When Rivera failed to stop, a chase ensued on Route 28 and ended with a tragic crash a short time later just over the Barnstable town line, authorities said.
Rivera, who reached speeds as high as 100 mph during the chase, crashed head-on into an SUV driven by 32-year-old Kevin Quinn, of Mashpee. Rivera was pronounced dead at the scene and Quinn later died at an area hospital. A passenger in Rivera’s car, 24-year-old Jocelyn Goyette, also died as a result of the crash.
Carline said in a press release that an extensive investigation conducted by the Barnstable Police Department found Rivera’s high speeds caused him to lose control and veer into oncoming traffic.
Based on the Mashpee Police Department’s policy on authorizing chases, Carline determined after an internal investigation that the risk of the pursuit outweighed the need to apprehend Rivera.
Authorities later learned that Rivera was on probation with a GPS monitor and his license to drive had been suspended due to a prior drunken driving arrest. Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe admitted that Rivera should not have been released from custody.
Evidence did show Rivera was not in the area of the pursuing cruiser and he was not in view at the time of the crash, according to Carline.
“We want to hold ourselves accountable to the community and I have released all the pertinent information regarding this investigation,” Carline said in the release. “Our continued priority is to serve the citizens of Mashpee with pride and integrity.”
The findings of Mashpee’s internal investigation were later reviewed by a Connecticut-based law firm.
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