UPDATE: Pickup That Hit Officer Driven by N.H. Man, 76

The state police media relations office has released further details on the accident Monday morning which sent a veteran Peabody police officer to a Boston hospital after he was struck by a pickup truck on Route 1 South.

Peabody Sgt. Eric Zawacki, 37, was being treated Monday at Mass. General Hospital for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

State police said that afternoon that a preliminary investigation by Lt. Tracy Webber indicated that Elroy Halfrey, 76, of Salem, N.H. was driving his 1991 Chevrolet pickup truck southbound on Route 1 when he hit Zawacki shortly before 9 a.m.

Zawacki, the department's K-9 officer, was working a paid detail at a construction site just up from the Lowell Street exit and during the morning commute.

Zawacki was standing outside his cruiser, answering a question from another motorist when he was suddenly hit and knocked over the hood of the pickup truck. There was no indication given on whether Zawacki was standing in the travel lane or the breakdown lane.

State police said Halfrey’s speed and the wet roadway were the two most likely contributing factors to the crash. They said Halfrey, who stopped after the accident and cooperated with authorities, will be cited at a later date.

No further details were given on the extent of Zawacki's injuries. Reports indicate he was conscious and alert at the time of the accident.

Both the right lane and breakdown lane were closed to traffic at the crash scene for several hours to accommodate the initial rescue response and investigation. With only one travel lane open during that time, motorists experienced significant delays until the other two lanes reopened in the early afternoon.

Police were alerted to the accident around 8:45 a.m. The crash is being investigated by Troop A of the state police (Danvers barracks) and Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section. Peabody officers, firefighters and EMTs assisted state troopers at the scene.