State trooper dies 2 years after being struck during a traffic stop

Trooper Thomas Devlin.

A Massachusetts state trooper has died from health complications related to when he was struck during a traffic stop two years ago.

Thomas W. Devlin, 58, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday. His death is considered in the line of duty, according to a news release from state police.

It was back on July 26, 2018, that Devlin was patrolling out of the Concord barracks when he conducted a traffic stop on Route 3 in Billerica. When outside of his cruiser, he was struck by another vehicle and suffered “severe” injuries. The Haverhill man operating the vehicle was charged with negligent operation, a marked lanes violation, and failure to move over for an emergency vehicle, the release said.

Devlin had undergone “many surgeries” to tend to his injuries since that time.

“He loved and respected the job, and the job loved and respected him,” state police Col. Christopher Mason said in the release. “Above all, he was utterly devoted to his family, and epitomized what it meant to be a loving husband and father. Trooper Devlin was known in the Department for his hard work, his rock solid character, and his commitment to … being a reliable friend, co-worker and public servant — a Trooper who could be counted on by his colleagues and the public. It was in service to the public, in the act of keeping our roads safe, that he gave his last, and the ultimate, sacrifice. We are lesser today for his loss and we will miss his smile.”

Devlin began his career after graduating from the State Police Academy on Dec. 6, 1985. He worked out of the Concord barracks for most of his career.

Devlin’s wife, Nancy, his two sons, Matthew and Paul, and two daughters, Rachel and Hannah, survive him.