A young Hopkinton police officer who just joined the force in April after serving two tours of duty in Iraq was killed on Thursday, Aug. 14, when a drunk driver rear-ended him.

Sean Powers, 24, was driving his motorcycle back to his home in Hillsborough after his shift at the Hopkinton Police Department around 1:30 a.m. He was traveling westbound on Route 202/9 in Henniker, said State Police Troop D Capt. Russell Conte, when Jeff Dennis, 22, of Henniker hit him from behind.

When Dennis’ BMW struck Powers’ Harley-Davidson, Powers was thrown into the road, where he was inadvertently struck a second time by a Honda Civic traveling west-bound, Conte said.

Dennis, who has several convictions for drunk driving on his record, is facing one more, in addition to being charged with negligent homicide and felony conduct after an accident. The driver of the Honda is not being charged, Conte said.

“Right after the accident happened, (Dennis) bolted into the woods,” said Conte, who added police used a helicopter and numerous search crews to locate Dennis in the area shortly after the accident occurred.

Conte said Powers was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Calling hours were held on Sunday, Aug. 17, and Monday, Aug. 18. Funeral services took place Tuesday, Aug. 19. The family is trying to cope with the loss while at the same time celebrating Powers’ achievements and good spirit.

“We’re taking it in stride,” said his brother, Dan Powers, 21, with whom Sean Powers shared an apartment on Mary Rowe Drive in Hillsborough. “I mean, we’re celebrating a great life and at the same time we’re devastated.”

After graduating from Hillsboro-Deering High School in 2002, Sean Powers served in the Marines and was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina from August 2002 to August 2007, according to the employment history on his resume.

Dan Powers said his brother suffered no injuries during the two tours of duty he served overseas as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, one from August 2004 to March 2005 and the other from September 2006 to April 2007.

When he returned, he began working for Asplundh Tree Expert Co., based in Weare, where his brothers Dan and Peter Powers also worked. Kimberly Carney, the office manager for Asplundh, said Powers was overjoyed when he got the job with the Hopkinton Police Department.

“He was so excited when he got this position because he was going to be a motorcycle police officer,” Carney said. “He was just meant for so many bigger things, and it’s just a shame,” she said.

Gary Shelto, regional manager and vice president of Asplundh Tree Expert Co., Region 28, said Powers was a wonderful employee and a great person to be around.

Dan Powers said he was woken up at around 4:45 a.m., just a few hours after his brother was killed, when his father called and told Dan to meet him in the living room of their apartment. His father then broke the news to him.

“We got along great. We had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs,” said Dan Powers of his relationship with his older brother. “He was always the best person to break the ice.”

The accident, near the intersection near the former Golden Pineapple and Route 202/9 in Henniker, remains under investigation. Conte said the results of Dennis’ blood alcohol test are not yet available.

An accident reconstruction team is still trying to piece the accident together to determine whether speed was a factor. There are skid marks in the vicinity of the crash scene, said Conte, but not very long ones.

“This guy probably wasn’t on the brakes,” said Conte of Dennis.

“I think it’s a tragic loss that you have someone who survived military action, and comes back and dies on a roadway,” Conte said, adding Sean Powers was operating his motorcycle responsibly and made no errors to cause the accident. “Regardless of him being a police officer, he was just going home like anybody else.”

Conte added the stretch of road where the accident occurred has seen several fatal accidents over the years, most of them caused by people drifting over the center line, which didn’t seem to be the case here.

Dennis was arraigned at Concord District Court on Friday, Aug. 15, where Conte said a judge set his bail at $250,000 cash. As of the end of the week, Friday, Aug. 15, Dennis was still in jail, Conte said.

Dan Powers described his brother as sometimes “too honest,” and said the family is trying to focus on the positives of his brother’s life.

“His goal in life was to make everyone smile, and he could, too,” he said.