No criminal charges will be filed in the death of Uxbridge Police Officer Stephen LaPorta, who was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on Route 146 in January while he was outside his cruiser helping a driver, the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office said. WCVB, Boston 25 News and Hoodline reported the decision on Saturday, October 24, 2026. A spokesperson for the district attorney said the investigation has concluded and the incident warrants no criminal charges, according to WCVB.
The office has not publicly explained how it reached that conclusion. Here is what is known about the crash, and what Massachusetts law requires before a driver can be charged when someone dies on the road.
What happened
- The crash. It happened at about 12:40 a.m. on January 7, 2026, on the northbound side of Route 146 near mile marker 5.9 in Uxbridge, according to the district attorney’s office as reported by Hoodline. LaPorta, 43, was on duty, assisting a motorist, when a tractor-trailer struck him, Boston 25 reported. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
- The conditions. Officers who responded noted icy conditions, WCVB reported. Hoodline, citing CBS News Boston, reported that roads across the state were icy from overnight freezing rain and that officers on duty described Route 146 as an “ice rink” over the radio.
- The others involved. The truck driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and the motorist LaPorta had stopped to help was not physically hurt, the district attorney’s office said, according to Hoodline. The driver has not been publicly named.
- The officer. LaPorta worked as a dispatcher and part-time officer before joining the Uxbridge department full time in June 2024, WCVB reported. He leaves a wife and a 13-year-old son.
Hoodline reported that, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, the district attorney’s office said it would review the newspaper’s request for more information about the investigation.
What a criminal charge would have required
A death on the highway is not by itself a crime. The main Massachusetts charge when a driver causes a death is homicide by a motor vehicle under G.L. c. 90, § 24G. The version that does not involve alcohol or drugs applies to a person who “operates a motor vehicle recklessly or negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered, and by any such operation so described causes the death of another person.” A prosecutor must prove both parts beyond a reasonable doubt: negligent or reckless driving, and that the driving caused the death.
Weather matters to that question in two directions. Under G.L. c. 90, § 17, no one may drive “at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper, having regard to traffic and the use of the way and the safety of the public,” which can mean driving well under the posted limit on ice. But a skid on black ice is not automatically negligence either. Whether a driver’s speed and handling were unreasonable for the conditions is a fact question that turns on evidence such as crash reconstruction, truck data and witness accounts, and the district attorney has not released that evidence.
The Move Over Law
Massachusetts requires drivers to slow down and, where they can, change lanes for stopped emergency vehicles. Under G.L. c. 89, § 7C, a driver approaching a stationary emergency response vehicle, highway maintenance vehicle or recovery vehicle “with flashing lights” must “proceed with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle to that of a reasonable and safe speed for road conditions,” and, on a highway with at least two lanes in the same direction, move into a lane not adjacent to the stopped vehicle if practicable. If changing lanes is impracticable, the driver must still slow to a safe speed. A police vehicle is an emergency response vehicle under the statute.
The statute punishes a violation with a fine of not more than $100. It is a traffic violation, not a homicide charge. Public reports have not said whether the cruiser’s lights were activated, how fast the truck was moving, or which lane it was in.
What else is pending
State Sen. Ryan Fattman has filed legislation that would posthumously promote LaPorta to sergeant, which would increase survivor benefits for his family, Hoodline reported. A decision not to bring criminal charges does not decide any civil claim, which is judged under a lower standard of proof.
Frequently asked questions
Will anyone be charged in Officer Stephen LaPorta’s death?
No. The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office said in October 2026 that its investigation had concluded and that the crash warrants no criminal charges.
How did Uxbridge Officer Stephen LaPorta die?
He was struck by a tractor-trailer at about 12:40 a.m. on January 7, 2026, on Route 146 northbound in Uxbridge while outside his cruiser assisting a motorist. Responding officers described icy conditions.
What is the Massachusetts Move Over Law?
G.L. c. 89, § 7C requires drivers approaching a stopped emergency, highway maintenance or recovery vehicle with flashing lights to slow to a safe speed and, if practicable on a multi-lane highway, change lanes away from it. A violation carries a fine of not more than $100.
What does it take to charge a driver with motor vehicle homicide in Massachusetts?
Under G.L. c. 90, § 24G, the prosecution must prove the driver operated recklessly or negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered, and that this driving caused the death.
Sources: WCVB, Boston 25 News and Hoodline, October 24, 2026; Hoodline’s report cites the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and CBS News Boston. G.L. c. 89, § 7C and c. 90, §§ 17 and 24G read at malegislature.gov. General information, not legal advice.