LOWELL, Mass. — A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to 18 months in jail in connection with a crash in 2018 that seriously injured a state police trooper who died more than two years later.

Kevin M. Francis, 56, of Haverhill, was also sentenced Monday in Lowell District Court to three years of probation. He was convicted Friday.

According to authorities, Trooper Thomas Devlin was outside his cruiser conducting a traffic stop on Route 3 in Billerica in July 2018 when he was struck by a vehicle operated by Francis.

Devlin, a 35-year veteran and a father of four, suffered head injuries and underwent multiple surgeries before dying in September 2020, authorities said.

Francis was charged with vehicular homicide after it was determined that injuries suffered in the crash contributed to Devlin’s death, but that charge was dropped when the medical examiner ruled that a rare and fatal brain disease was also a factor.

“Trooper Devlin’s legacy is one of being a beacon of strength and love for his family, as a dependable and highly-respected colleague and a mentor to younger troopers, and as a reminder of the dangers police officers face every day,” State police Col. Christopher Mason said in a statement.