Report: College Student Run Over By Cape Cod Police Officer Was Drunk, On Drugs

A college student was “seriously impaired by drugs and alcohol” when he was run over by a Chatham police officer New Year’s Day, according to a new report.

Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe told the Boston Globe 22-year-old Garrett Gagne was drinking for hours at bars and house parties New Year’s Eve. O’Keefe also said Gagne took drugs.

Police said at about 4 a.m., Chatham Police Officer Christopher Vardakis was responding to a burglary alarm when he ran over Gagne as the student was lying in the middle of Crowell Road. Gagne was later pronounced dead.

Authorities said it was immediately unclear why Gagne was in the road or what his medical condition was in the moments leading up to the crash.

The Globe also reported Vardakis has been cited for multiple traffic violations dating back to 1999.

Gagne, of Longmeadow, attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., and was scheduled to graduate this year. He played lacrosse and studied government. College President President William Fox called Gagne “an accomplished athlete and fine student.”

Chatham police called Gagne’s death a “tragic accident.”

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