RCMP officer who died after collision near U.S. border was father of 4

A 42-year-old married father of four has been identified as theRCMP officer who diednear the Canada-U.S. border Monday evening.

Const.RicherDubuc was killedafter the marked car he was driving collided with a tractor on a rural highway in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que.

"The greatRCMPfamily is deeply saddened by the tragic death of our colleague," theMounties said in a statement.

"We offer our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of Richer."

The native of Joliette, Que., had been an RCMPofficer for the past sevenyears, most recently working as a member of theborder enforcement unit based in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. He joined that unit in January 2017.

Supt. Paul Beauchesne, the officer who oversees the Codiac detachment where Dubuc began working upon graduating from the RCMP training academy, said his former colleague had achieved a lifelong ambition.

"Richer was known as a man of 'large stature' with a personality that matched," Beauchesne said in a statement.

"His co-workers called him 'the gentle giant' because he was very tall and always in good spirits."

The collision occurred around 6:20 p.m. ET on Route 202 westbound,about 10kilometres from the border, according to provincial police Sgt. Claude Denis.

'Terrible tragedy,'Goodalesays

Dubuc was taken to hospital in critical condition. His death was confirmed Tuesday morning.

The tractor driver was also taken to hospital withminor injuries.

The officer was driving a marked car.The type of call he was responding to isunclear.

Route 202 connects toRoxhamRoad. RCMP recently stepped up patrols at the Roxham Road boundary in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, where an increasing number of asylum seekers are crossing into Canada from the U.S.

The provincial police's major crime unit is investigating the crash.

Speaking in Montreal on Tuesday, Public Safety Minister RalphGoodale, who oversees the RCMP,called the deatha "terrible tragedy."