Man Pleads Guilty In Somerville Police Officer's Death

SOMERVILLE, MA – A Burlington man has pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the death of off-duty Somerville Police Officer Louis Remigio. Michael Ricci, 19, was arrested last October and charged with felony reckless conduct for his role in the crash on I-95.

Ricci entered a guilty plea to one count of negligent homicide, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of reckless conduct in Rockingham Superior Court in New Hampshire earlier this month. Prosecutors will ask for a sentence of 7 to 14 years in prison.

Remigio, a 30-year veteran of the Somerville Police Department's Traffic Unit, was hit by a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300 while riding his motorcycle in New Hampshire on Oct. 8, 2017. The Tewksbury resident succumbed to his injuries days later at the age of 55.

A highly decorated officer, Remigio received two Life Saving Awards, a Meritorious Service Award, a Beyond the Call of Duty Award and numerous commendations by both his colleagues and members of the community.

"Louie was a first class human being and exactly the kind of police officer you want serving your community; he was tough yet kind, empathetic, and fair," Somerville Police Chief David Fallon said at the time of his death.

Witnesses said Ricci was racing other vehicles on I-95 when his car veered onto the southbound side and crashed head-on into a 2003 Harley Davidson driven by Remigio. The wreck also left John Bamford, 63, and Jaclyn Bamford, 61, the driver and passenger of a Subaru Legacy, with non-life-threatening injuries after they crashed into Ricci's Mercedes.

Ricci was uninjured in the crash.

Dave Copeland (Patch Staff) contributed to this report. Top photo via Somerville Police Department