The RCMP officer killed Monday night on highway 202 near the U.S. border was responding to a call for backup, not far from a spot where refugees from the United States have been crossing illegally into Canada.
The RCMP has identified the officer as 42-year-old Const. Richer Dubuc, a married father of four. He was a native of Joliette who joined the force seven years ago.
In January, he started working out of St. Jean sur Richelieu as a member of the Integrated Border Enforcement Team.
Just before 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dubuc's car slammed into the back of a farm tractor on Highway 202 in St. Bernard de Lacolle.
For the moment, the nature of the call he was responding to is not clear, though the RCMP have been stepping up patrols in the area as refugee claimants walking into Canada have become almost a daily occurrence.
The tractor driver injured his head and neck in the crash. He was taken to hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Provincial police are investigating the circumstances of the crash.
-CJAD 800's Emily Campbell contributed to this report.