At a ceremony Friday honoring fallen law enforcement officers near the State House, Governor Maura Healey lauded a state trooper killed in a violent crash this week while several of his close relatives listened in the front row of the audience, some wiping away tears.
A moment of silence was held for Trooper Kevin Trainor, who was engaged to be married at the time of his death, which came after a wrong-way driver plowed head-on into his cruiser in Lynnfield as he was driving home from a detail shift early Wednesday.
“He was finishing a detail, took a call that he didn’t need to take — but trained as a proud member of law enforcement, did what he was trained to do, what he had the enthusiasm to do, which was to respond,” Healey said during Friday’s ceremony. “We know the tragic consequences of what happened.”
But, she added, “there’s no doubt that Trooper Trainor saved lives.”
“There’s no doubt he gave his life so that others may live today,” Healey told the crowd, as flags flew at half-staff behind her. “That’s the definition of a hero and the highest form of public service. That’s what Trooper Trainor embodied.”
The ceremony was held in Beacon Hill’s Ashburton Park, which contains a badge-shaped granite memorial inscribed with the names of more than 400 Massachusetts officers who died in the line of duty.
“It’s a permanent reminder of their dedication and ultimate sacrifice. And it’s to ensure their memories will never be erased,” said Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association president Larry Calderone.
Healey told reporters after the event that she’s already met with transportation officials to discuss possibly deploying more technology to detect wrong-way drivers and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
A wake and funeral Mass for Trainor, 30, are set for next week, according to an online family tribute. The wake will be held Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home in Peabody, followed by a funeral Mass on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at St. James Church in Salem.
“Serving as a Trooper was more than a profession to Kevin — it was a calling," said the tribute, posted on the funeral home’s website. “He took immense pride in protecting and serving the people of the Commonwealth and formed strong bonds with the men and women alongside whom he served.”
Trainor was “known for his warm heart, quick wit, and ability to make those around him feel welcome and cared for,” his family said. “He loved spending time with family and friends, cooking on the grill, drawing, reading, and following baseball. Above all else, Kevin adored his beloved dogs, Rio and Java, who brought him endless joy and companionship.”
In addition, the tribute continued, Trainor “shared a beautiful life with his fiancée, Jessica Ostrowski of Georgetown, whose love and support meant the world to him. Together they built a life centered around family, laughter, and unwavering devotion.”
Ostrowski took to Instagram on Thursday to post a separate, heartfelt message, recalling Trainor as “my absolute best friend” who “healed many parts of me I never thought would ever be healed.”
Video surveillance obtained by the Globe captured a vehicle speeding the wrong way on Route 1 in Lynnfield early Wednesday morning, moments before the driver crashed head-on into Trainor’s cruiser, killing both men.
The footage appears to show an SUV, driven by 50-year-old Hernan Marrero, speeding southbound on the northbound side of Route 1, near a Jeep dealership.
A State Police cruiser with its siren on is then seen traveling northbound on the road, missing Marrero by roughly 30 seconds.
Moments later, just after 2 a.m., authorities said, Marrero crashed into another cruiser being driven by Trainor. .
A State Police spokesperson declined to comment on the footage Friday but said investigators urge anyone with relevant video clips to share them with authorities.
The Essex district attorney’s office also had no comment on the video footage but said the crash remains under investigation.
A fund-raiser for Trainor’s family on GoFundMe had raised nearly $76,000 as of Friday.
“At the end of his shift and on his way home, Kevin chose to answer one more call for help,” said the fund-raising appeal launched by the Greg Hill Foundation, a local charity that helps people affected by tragedies.
The foundation will match gifts up to $5,000, the post said.
Trainor, who had joined State Police three years ago, had just completed his shift Wednesday when he began driving home to Georgetown , officials said.
At 2:01 a.m., the first of several 911 calls ended Trainor’s commute, abruptly shifting his focus from that of an off-duty trooper to a fast-moving, high-stakes, emergency responder.
In the call, a Jeep had been reported traveling south in the northbound lanes of Route 1 near the Lynnfield tunnel, which prompted Trainor and other troopers to rush to the scene, where they spotted the vehicle at 2:03 a.m.
The two vehicles collided about 17 seconds later.
Marrero, of Roslindale, died at the scene, while Trainor was rushed by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Shannon Larson contributed to this report.
Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Lea Skene can be reached at lea.skene@globe.com. Follow her on X @lea_skene.