A chilling new report unveils the tragic circumstances surrounding a fatal crash involving a Massachusetts state trooper and a drunken wrong-way driver. The driver, having consumed nine alcoholic beverages, ignored clear road signs and barreled down the highway against traffic, resulting in a catastrophic collision.
Hernan Marrero, a 50-year-old resident of Roslindale, was found to have a shockingly high blood alcohol level of 0.192—more than double the legal threshold. His intoxicated state led to a violent head-on collision with Trooper Kevin Trainor’s cruiser just after 2:00 a.m. on May 6 in Lynnfield, as detailed by the Essex County District Attorney, Paul Tucker.
The devastating crash claimed the lives of both Marrero and Trainor, the latter being a dedicated 30-year-old state trooper from Georgetown.
Investigators revealed that Trooper Kevin Trainor had completed a public safety assignment before his vehicle was tragically struck by Marrero’s out-of-control car on Route 1. The incident left a mark of sorrow in the community he served. (Massachusetts State Police)
The report sheds light on Marrero’s actions leading up to the crash. He initially visited a restaurant in Waltham, where he purchased food and drank a complimentary beverage, leaving at 7:42 p.m. Subsequently, he made his way to Tribu Mexican Kitchen and Bar in Saugus by 9:15 p.m., where he promptly ordered a margarita, setting the stage for the fateful events that followed.
Marrero later posted a photo of a margarita on social media with the caption, “Second stop!!!” the DA’s report said.
Between 9:20 p.m. and 12:53 a.m., he was served a total of nine alcoholic drinks at Tribu, investigators found.
A new report says Hernan Marrero drove 1.8 miles the wrong way on Route 1 before crashing head-on into Massachusetts State Police Trooper Kevin Trainor’s cruiser, killing them both. (Massachusetts State Police)
The Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission has issued a notice to Tribu alleging multiple civil violations, including serving alcoholic drinks after hours and serving free drinks, according to the report. A hearing is scheduled for July 28.
The DA’s office said that after reviewing the case under applicable legal standards, criminal charges are “not sustainable.”
Marrero left the Tribu parking lot at 1:56 a.m. and drove north on Route 1 for about 2.3 miles before entering a jughandle near Santarpio’s Pizza in Peabody that allows drivers to reverse direction onto Route 1 south.
But instead of properly entering the southbound side, Marrero grazed a guardrail, ran a red light and made too sharp a left turn before re-entering the northbound lanes while driving south, the report said.
Investigators said the area had clear and unobstructed “WRONG WAY,” “DO NOT ENTER” and “ONE WAY” signs directing motorists not to enter Route 1 north from the jughandle.
Marrero then drove 1.8 miles southbound in the northbound lane.
A truck driver who saw the Jeep pass called 911, and another trooper broadcast a warning about the wrong-way driver to the State Police Danvers barracks and area cruisers, according to the report.
Massachusetts State Police Trooper Kevin Trainor, 30, was killed May 6 when a drunken wrong-way driver crashed head-on into his cruiser on Route 1 in Lynnfield, prosecutors said. (Massachusetts State Police)
Trainor, who had just finished a public safety detail and clocked out at 1:52 a.m., had his cruiser radio on and set to the channel where the warnings were broadcast.
His cruiser was the first to encounter Marrero’s Jeep.
The vehicles collided head-on, with Trainor’s cruiser traveling between 60.4 and 68.6 mph and Marrero’s Jeep traveling between 56.4 and 61.4 mph at impact, investigators found.
Crash reconstructionists determined that Marrero’s wrong-way driving was not caused by any vehicle defect or problem with the posted signage.
Instead, they concluded that the crash was caused by Marrero’s actions and that his wrong-way operation of the Jeep resulted in both his own death and Trainor’s line-of-duty death.
Massachusetts State Police Trooper Kevin Trainor likely prevented a greater tragedy before he was killed in a head-on crash with a wrong-way driver on Route 1, the Essex County district attorney said. (Massachusetts State Police)
Tucker said the evidence shows Trainor acted with “exemplary courage and self-sacrifice.”
“His willingness to put his own life at risk to serve and protect the citizens of the Commonwealth likely prevented an even greater tragedy,” Tucker said.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said that Trainor was the “best of Massachusetts.”
“Trooper Kevin Trainor was the best of Massachusetts. He was a graduate of Salem State and the State Police Academy. He wore the French and Electric Blue with pride. He was a son, a brother, a fiancé, a coach and a mentor. On and off the job, he was the kind of person you could count on. When people needed help, he answered the call without hesitation. That’s what makes him a hero.”
“His life was cut far too short, but his legacy of courage, service and selflessness will live on in all the lives he saved. As we lay Trooper Trainor to rest, my heart is with his family, his fellow Troopers and everyone who had the privilege to know and serve alongside him. May God Bless the men and women of the Massachusetts State Police.”