By Laura Freeman
News-Leader
BOSTON HEIGHTS " A 24-year-old patrolman was killed Monday while clearing debris from S.R. 8 in Boston Township.
Jarod M. Dean, 24, a Boston Heights patrolman and former Windham police officer, was struck by a truck traveling southbound on S.R. 8 and killed around 5:30 a.m.
Boston Heights Police Chief Joseph Varga said Dean, a Hudson resident, was out of his patrol car and cleaning debris off the highway when he was hit.
"He had his lights on and was behind the cruiser," Varga said.
Another Boston Heights police officer was first on the scene, Varga said. Attempts by Boston Heights and Macedonia emergency squads failed to revive him. The Summit County Medical Examiner pronounced him dead at the scene at 6:22 a.m.
The cause of death was "multiple blunt force injuries" and the manner of death was ruled an accident, according to the medical examiner's report.
Dean was a part-time police officer with Boston Heights for six months and previously worked in Windham for two years, Varga said.
"On behalf of the Dean family, we would like to thank the community for its support during this tragedy," said Dean's stepbrother John Dean in a statement provided by Boston Heights Sgt. Ray Heatwall. "Jarod loved being a police officer and he paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to his fellow man. He touched so many in the short time he was with us, and it's a tragic loss not only to his family and friends, but for the community he served."
Windham Police Chief Ed Perdian said Dean "was a good officer. He needed some experience under his belt."
The flag in front of the Windham Police Department will fly at half staff until further notice, Perdian said.
Boston Heights Mayor Bill Goncy said the community is "devastated" by Dean's death.
"The outpouring from our community has been great," Goncy said. "They're asking what they can do."
Heatwall said the department, which consisted of 15 officers, is "holding up. Being a small department, we're really close."
Goncy said the city is working with the family in planning a memorial service.
Goncy said contributions for the Dean family can be made at any First Merit Bank.
Calling hours will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at Fortuna Funeral Home, 7076 Brecksville Road in Independence, according to Heatwall.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. It reported that at 5:30 a.m., Dean communicated to dispatch that he was removing debris from S.R. 8 near the Ohio Turnpike and parked his patrol car in the left turn lane of S.R. 8 southbound. He activated the overhead lights of the patrol car and exited the car.
John Gavelek, 51, of Garfield Heights was traveling south on S.R. 8 in the left lane and failed to see Mr. Dean in the road and struck him, according to the patrol.
The Garfield Heights man was driving a 2003 Isuzu box truck hauling vending machine material to Akron. No charges have been filed, the patrol reported.
Lt. Paul Celinski, spokesperson for the Macedonia Fire Department, said firefighters found Dean lying in the road when they arrived on scene at 5:33 a.m.
Celinski said S.R. 8 southbound remained closed until about 9:30 a.m. between Hines Hill and Boston Mills roads while investigators examined the scene.
Editor's note: News-Leader editor Eric Marotta contributed to this story. The News-Leader is a sister paper of the Record-Courier.