Sean Collier, slain MIT officer, the brother of Hendrick Motorsports crewman
Bob Pockrass Sporting News
KANSAS CITY, Kan. MIT Patrol Officer Sean Collier, who was shot and killed during a confrontation with the two Boston Marathon bombing suspects Thursday night, was the brother of Hendrick Motorsports engine shop machinist Andrew Collier, the team confirmed Friday.
Andrew Collier, who has worked at Hendrick since 2008, is not a member of the teams road crew and works in an engine shop that employs more than 100 people.
It is a very sad time, Hendrick driver Jimmie Johnson said prior to Cup practice Friday at Kansas Speedway. My thoughts and prayers are with the Collier family. Were one big family. Its sad and unfortunate to see a fellow teammate and his family going through such a tough time.
Sean Collier was 26 when he died, and word filtered through the NASCAR garage early Friday morning about the Hendrick connection.
The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports are with Andrew Collier and his family, the team said in a statement.
Johnson also knew Nicole Gross, a Charlotte woman who was seriously injured in the attacks. Johnson swims at the same pool where Gross is an instructor.
That brought everything closer to home to me, Johnson said. Now this morning, hearing the news of what happened last night, brings us closer to it again.
Absolutely well race with heavy hearts.
Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing have stickers on their cars paying tribute to the victims and the city of Boston.
To have this tragedy take place is just ridiculous, Johnson said. We all as a society have paid attention to that and it has hit somewhere deep in us on that.
In the last three hours, it has gone to a new level knowing a fellow teammate is directly involved with what took place in Boston.
Sean Collier was remembered as a brave and generous officer at MIT and around the Boston area. He had worked as an information technology employee at the Somerville, Mass. Police Department before moving to MIT.
Colliers roommate told The Boston Globe that Colliers only fault was being too brave.
He was the guy who went to help, his roommate said. The best guy got shot down by the biggest scumbags.
Holly Dixon, whose 28-year-old son, Travis, was Seans roommate in Somerville, told The Globe that Collier loved camping and the outdoors and was incredibly generous.
He is one of the nicest guys you can imagine, funny, everybody liked him. He hoped to be a Somerville police officer, Holly Dixon told the Globe. He was a nice, nice kid, who would do anything for you.
Collier was found in his car after gunshots were reported in the area, according to a statement from the Middlesex County district attorneys office. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead after arrival at Massachusetts General Hospital.
According to The Globe, Collier was described by MIT Police Chief John DiFava as a well-liked, dedicated officer.
In a very short period of time, it was remarkable how engaged he was with students, particularly graduate students, DiFava said in a statement, adding that Collier had become active with the MIT Outing Club.
The loss of Officer Collier is deeply painful to the entire MIT community, MIT President L. Rafael Reif said in a statement. Our thoughts today are with his family, his friends, his colleagues on our police force and, by all accounts, the many other members of our community who knew him. This is a senseless and tragic loss.
Collier was a 2009 graduate of Salem State University.
We are deeply saddened to learn that Sean Collier, a member of Salem States class of 2009, was killed last night in the line of duty. He was a campus police officer at MIT. Sean received a criminal justice degree and graduated with honors, the university said in a statement. Our thoughts and sympathy go out to Seans family as well as all those affected by the recent tragic events in Boston.
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updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
