Injured Officer Identified, Will Stay Overnight in Hospital

The injured Beverly police officer that was cut from his damaged cruiser by rescuers using the Jaws of Life after a crash on Tuesday afternoon has been identified as Officer Joshua Pickett.

Pickett will spend Tuesday night at Beverly Hospital, according to Officer Michael Boccuzzi, a Beverly police spokesman.

The crash happened at the intersection of Elliott and Rantoul streets at about 2:15 p.m. when Pickett, headed southbound on Rantoul Street with the lights and sirens activated on cruiser 903, collided with a Honda Accord. Pickett was headed to an alarm call at the time of the crash.

Not long after the crash, Beverly Police Chief John LeLacheur said Pickett’s injuries, as well as that of the female driving the Honda, were considered “non life-threatening.” Later, Boccuzzi said Pickett would be “held overnight…for observation” on Tuesday at Beverly Hospital but said no further details were available about his condition.

The name of the driver of the Honda has not yet been released.

A third vehicle, a sport utility vehicle with Vermont license plates, was stopped at the traffic light on Rantoul Street at the time of the crash, was grazed by the spinning cruiser but was not significantly damaged and nobody in the vehicle was injured, according to LeLacheur.

The crash remains under investigation and it is too early to say whether charges will be filed, LeLacheur said.