Retired Marine, police officer dies after being hit by car

Officer struck near fair dies of injuries
Marshfield man was 'a great guy'
By John R. Ellement
Globe Staff / August 27, 2008

DUXBURY - When it came time to retire for the third time, Mel Dyer left his part-time job with the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department but kept working as a special police officer for the Town of Duxbury and its police chief, Mark DeLuca.

Yesterday, DeLuca stood outside the police station and announced that Dyer had died from injuries suffered when he was struck by a car while directing traffic near the Marshfield Fair Aug. 16.

"Officer Dyer was quite an officer," DeLuca said of the 67-year-old Marshfield resident, who was working a paid detail at the fair when he was struck by a car. "The Duxbury Police Department will miss him . . . and our prayers are with his family."

Dyer's wife and two adult children attended the press conference, but DeLuca said they did not want to talk with reporters.

DeLuca and Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr. said Dyer served 20 years in the US Marine Corps before retiring. He then worked in the insurance industry and retired. He started working as a part-time sheriff in 2005 and retired - again - just three weeks ago.
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