A Maryland town is grieving after its longtime police chief died in a head-on crash involving a delivery truck.
George William Bacorn Jr., 62, who led the Denton Police Department, was killed Friday morning on a road near Easton, according to authorities.
Shortly before 11:30 a.m., Bacorn was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe eastbound behind a Chevrolet Silverado. In the opposite lane, 31-year-old Antonio Jaquan Handy was behind the wheel of a Ford Transit delivery van.
Maryland State Police said the delivery truck crossed the double yellow center line for reasons that remain unclear. It first clipped the Silverado’s side mirror before crashing into Bacorn’s SUV.
Bacorn was pronounced dead at the scene. Handy sustained serious injuries and was flown by helicopter to a nearby trauma center, police said.
The Silverado’s driver was not hurt, and authorities reported no additional injuries.
The Maryland State Police Crash Team is leading the investigation. Its findings will be submitted to the Talbot County State’s Attorney’s Office, which will decide whether charges should be brought against the delivery-truck driver.
Denton, the seat of Caroline County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has been mourning a police chief who served the community for 36 years. Tributes have come from residents, local officials and Maryland’s governor.
Denton Police Chief George William Bacorn Jr., 62, died in a Friday morning crash. He is pictured at right accepting an award recognizing 35 years of service.
Bacorn was killed at the scene when a delivery truck crossed the double yellow line and collided head-on with his vehicle.
Bacorn spent 36 years as Denton’s police chief and was widely respected in the community. Maryland Governor Wes Moore joined the tributes following his death.
The Town of Denton announced the loss in a statement, saying it was “with profound sadness” that officials confirmed the police chief’s death after the crash.
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Town officials offered their deepest sympathies to Bacorn’s family and to the officers and staff of the Denton Police Department.
They also asked the public to honor the family’s privacy, while keeping Bacorn’s loved ones, the department and the town in their thoughts and prayers.
Moore said Bacorn “embodied the meaning of serving others” and devoted his life to protecting communities and helping keep people safe.
“Denton, Caroline County, and all of Maryland is a better place because of his courage and public service,” the governor said.
The governor ordered Maryland flags to be flown at half-staff and asked residents to join him and his wife in praying for Bacorn’s family, the Denton Police Department and the broader law enforcement community.
After the crash, Bacorn’s remains were taken to the Baltimore Medical Examiner’s Office. Officials later arranged a formal escort to return his body to Denton on Sunday.
Authorities closed roads along the roughly two-hour journey from Baltimore, Maryland’s largest city, to the Eastern Shore town.
Police lined the roads next to their cruisers along the route of a dignified escort of Bacorn’s remains from Baltimore back to Denton
Firefighters also lined the road and stood on top of their engines as the procession drove by
The first responders solemnly saluted in the rain as they paid respect to the police chief. Officers are pictured saluting as the procession arrived in Denton
Officers also held up American flags as they stood along the procession route
A large procession of cars joined the escort, and police officers and firefighters lined the roads with their cruisers and fire engines.
The first responders stood next to their vehicles or on top of them and solemnly saluted the procession as it drove by in the rain.
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