FALMOUTH, Mass. (AP) - A Florida sheriff's deputy killed in a traffic crash is being laid to rest in his Massachusetts hometown.
Dozens of police officers from departments across Massachusetts and the nation saluted outside St. Patrick's Church in Falmouth on Wednesday as the flag-draped coffin of Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy John Robert Kotfila Jr. was carried inside to the sound of bagpipes.
Falmouth Police Chief Edward Dunne called it "a very solemn day." He said he hoped the tribute could bring some peace to Kotfila's family.
Authorities say Kotfila's vehicle was hit head-on by a wrong-way driver in Brandon, Florida, near Tampa, March 12. The other driver, who was drunk at the time, also died.
Kotfila's father is a Massachusetts State Police sergeant and one of his brothers is a Falmouth police officer.
