Police said they don’t know why Garrett Gagne was in the road or what his condition was before he was
struck at 4 a.m. in Chatham. The officer, who has not been identified, immediately stopped and called
for help when he realized he had hit Gagne, police said Thursday. State and local police are
investigating.

Gagne, 22, was a senior government major and lacrosse player for St. Lawrence University. Police said he
was from Longmeadow in western Massachusetts and was in Chatham, on Cape Cod, to celebrate New Year’s
Eve with friends.

The Canton, New York, university set up a memorial website to Gagne on Thursday. In a statement, St.
Lawrence President William Fox said the school will hold a tribute for him when classes resume.

Fox wrote in the statement: "When Mike Mahoney, Garrett’s lacrosse coach, contacted me this morning,
he told me, ‘Garrett was close to all of us on the team — a leader, mentor, and friend. His smile and
enthusiasm were contagious. He could light up the field and sidelines with his personality. This sudden
and shocking loss touches every one of us who knew him as one of our best.’"

At Longmeadow High School, Gagne captained both the lacrosse and ski racing teams and was honored for his
academics, according to Fox’s statement. He was also a two-time Massachusetts state champion in ski
racing.