SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - The Springfield Police Department is remembering Office Paul Mawaka on Wednesday. On-ramp of I-291 in Springfield to be closed for inspections According to the Springfield Police Department, Officer Paul Mawaka was killed back on October 30th, 1973, in a motorcycle accident while on duty. Officer Mawaka was struck by a hit-and-run driver while returning to the station at the end of his shift. The driver was never found. Officer Mawaka was 34 years old at the time of his death with nine years on the job. A total of 17 Springfield officers died in the line of duty since the city’s founding in 1636. A Fallen Officer Memorial is located outside the police headquarters on Pearl Street. Springfield Police Fallen Officers Thomas Miller 10/05/1675 Daniel Donovan 09/29/1908 Adelbert St. Marie 08/31/1934 Carl Rolf 11/02/1938 John P. Sullivan, Sr. 02/02/1940 Thomas F. Murphy 02/02/1940 Raymond Moriarty 09/02/1946 John W. Connors 02/20/1953 Leo Hamel 10/31/1955 Francis Sears 09/11/1967 Walter C. Juskiewicz 06/21/1969 William R. Berte 01/08/1973 Richard D. Vigneault 04/11/1973 Paul F. Mawaka 10/30/1973 Michael Schiavina 11/12/1985 Alain Beauregard 11/15/1985 Kevin Ambrose 06/04/2012 Local News Headlines I-291 on-ramp in Springfield closed overnight Wednesday Officer Paul Mawaka being remembered by the Springfield Police Department On-ramp of I-291 in Springfield to be closed for inspections Eversource requests natural gas rate hike in Massachusetts WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.