BILLERICA -- A 27-year-old correction officer for Middlesex County who died at the scene of an early-morning car crash Wednesday while on duty committed suicide, the state has ruled.
Edward "Teddy" Dillon III died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the state Executive Office of Public Safety, citing a state autopsy.
Dillon crashed a Sheriff's Department vehicle into a tree on Treble Cove Road in Billerica about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. He had been working the midnight-to-8 a.m. shift at the Middlesex House of Correction in Billerica, conducting perimeter checks of the facility and other Sheriff's Department property. He was reportedly on his way to pick up coffee for co-workers when he crashed.
The state did not release additional details about the autopsy or why Dillon took his own life.
Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian released the following statement Friday evening:
"Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Officer Dillon's family, friends and colleagues. Officer Dillon's passing is heartbreaking to all those who knew him as a beloved family member, dear friend and highly regarded correction officer.
"We will remember him for the joy he brought to family and friends and for the exemplary way he carried out his professional responsibilities," he concluded.
Dillon had worked at the Middlesex Sheriff's office since 2008.
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