New dad leaving hospital killed in head-on crash
Marine vet hit by driver fleeing Mashpee police
A Marine combat vet who had just left his wife and newborn daughter at the hospital was killed in Cotuit early Saturday morning in a head-on crash with a man who reportedly was fleeing from police and also was killed.
Kevin Quinn, 32, of Mashpee was killed when his SUV was struck head-on by a 2000 Toyota sedan driven by Mickey Rivera, 22, of Fall River, who was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a Barnstable police statement. Quinn was taken to South Shore Hospital where he later died. Jocelyn Goyette, 24, of New Bedford, who was a passenger in the sedan, remains in a Boston hospital in critical condition.
“I still can’t wrap my head around this,” Quinn’s best friend, fellow Marine veteran Rob Dinan, told the Herald. “This is a man who served two deployments in Afghanistan, comes home and marries his dream girl and has a daughter and then this happens.”
Audio from Mashpee police posted by the Cape Cod Times indicates that an officer began pursuing a car after citing erratic driving, speeding and stop-sign violations before the crash on Route 28. It’s unclear whether the police pursuit was ongoing at the time of the crash and how fast the car was going at the time of impact.
Mashpee and Barnstable police did not respond to requests for interviews.
The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office didn’t respond to a request for comment on whether prosecutors will review the police pursuit. In recent years many police departments have instituted policies of ending pursuits if they are deemed too dangerous.
“We are in the early stages of what is going to be a comprehensive and thorough investigation into our involvement of the facts and circumstances leading up to this terrible tragedy,” Mashpee police Chief Scott Carline said in a statement. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the victims and their families at this time.”
Quinn’s daughter, Logan Audrey Quinn, was born Wednesday, according to a GoFundMe page that as of 9:30 p.m. yesterday had raised $93,435 for Quinn’s widow, Kara, and their daughter.
“He just couldn’t wait to be a dad,” Dinan said. “It’s all we talked about as the due date got closer. He told me he was so excited about ‘having someone that’s going to look up to me.’ ”
Quinn had started his own excavation business. Dinan and Quinn had been friends for six years. Both veterans of the Marine Corps, the two would often spend time riding motorcycles, fishing and reaching out to other Marines. Dinan said they immediately bonded because of their service.
“He was just an all-around great guy,” Dinan said. “He’d give you the shirt off his back and give you his last 10 dollars if you needed it. He was always there to lend a hand. He had a great smile and a great personality. He was a lot of fun to be around. He just had a way about him.”