What Happened
Corporal Brett Martin, 51, of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, was fatally struck by a vehicle on Interstate 95 southbound in Boxford, Massachusetts, just after 8:30 p.m. on Monday, July 28, 2026, according to WCVB.
The crash occurred near mile marker 74 on I-95 southbound. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Martin had stopped to help a stranded motorist on the side of the highway when he was struck by an oncoming car. The circumstances that brought him to that stretch of Massachusetts highway — and what led the stranded motorist to be stopped there — had not been detailed in early reports.
Martin was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries following the collision, WCVB reported. He later succumbed to those injuries. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department confirmed his identity and death on Monday evening, with an update issued at 6:42 p.m. EDT. No information about the driver who struck Martin — including whether they remained at the scene, their identity, or their condition — was released in initial reports.
The department confirmed Martin’s rank as corporal at the time of the incident. No additional details about the vehicle that struck him, road or weather conditions at mile marker 74 at the time of the crash, or which hospital treated him were included in the WCVB report.
Location & Road Context
The fatal crash took place on Interstate 95 southbound near mile marker 74 in Boxford, Massachusetts, a stretch of heavily traveled highway in Essex County north of Boston. I-95 is one of the most active interstate corridors on the East Coast, carrying a significant volume of commercial and passenger traffic through New England. While this incident occurred well outside Long Island, Corporal Martin was a member of the Suffolk County law enforcement community, making this a significant loss felt locally.
Stopping on the shoulder of a high-speed interstate — even to render assistance — carries extreme risk. The area near mile marker 74 in Boxford is a rural segment of I-95 with limited lighting and fast-moving traffic, conditions that compound danger for anyone on foot near travel lanes after dark.
Broader Impact
The death of Corporal Brett Martin underscores a danger that claims the lives of good Samaritans and emergency responders alike: the risk of being struck while stopped on an active highway shoulder. In New York and across the country, “Move Over” laws require drivers to shift lanes away from stopped emergency and disabled vehicles — a rule that applies equally on I-95 in Massachusetts. Martin’s death, while trying to help a fellow motorist, is a stark reminder of how quickly a roadside stop can turn fatal on a high-speed interstate after dark.