SHORTLY AFTER 2 p.m. on Monday, I emerged from the Central Artery tunnel in heavy, stop-and-go traffic heading south on the Southeast Expressway.

It was clear something was going on because two helicopters were hovering in place high overhead – one over near Boston Medical Center and the other above the expressway itself. 

As my car neared the South Bay Center, traffic came to a dead stop. Police officers on motorcycles blocked off all four lanes so the expressway was empty heading south.  

I got out of my car and looked around. I could see fire engines ahead on the Boston Street and Dorchester Avenue overpasses, which made me wonder whether there was some threat there.  

Off to my right, on Frontage Road, officers were standing on the road directing traffic while police motorcycles and vehicles were whizzing by and merging onto the now-empty expressway heading south.  

Suddenly, dozens of police on motorcycles and in vehicles surrounding a hearse flew by on Frontage Road. They merged onto the expressway and headed south traveling fast. A huge white helicopter seemed to follow them flying low over the expressway heading south. 

Once the convoy of vehicles was out of sight, traffic was allowed to start moving again. I was now running late for a 3 p.m. press conference downtown so I got dropped off at the UMass/JFK MBTA Station and took the Red Line into town. 

Just before the press conference began, I asked Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler if he knew what was happening. He checked his phone and said he had no emergency alerts.  

One of his aides did a quick search online and found a tweet from Universal Hub indicating police were transferring the body of a Randolph police officer. 

I called the Boston Police Department and the spokesman had no details. David Procopio, the spokesman for the State Police, confirmed in an email that the body of a Randolph police officer was being escorted from the medical examiner’s office in Boston to a funeral home in Randolph. He had no other details. 

The officer was Michael  D. Beal, 61, of Norwell who had served on the Randolph police force for 35 years. He died off-duty in an early morning rollover car crash on Route 3 in Hingham on Saturday. 

“He was an amazing person and friend to all within this department. This amazing family man leaves behind a wife and eight children,” Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag said after the incident. “Please keep his family, friends, and members of the Randolph Police Department in your thoughts and prayers.” 

I don’t know what route the escort took to get to Randolph but the options would be to take the expressway to 93/128 to Randolph or to cut through Milton. Either way, it would take a massive police presence to shut down traffic that entire way. 

It’s an amazing tribute to an officer, but it’s also a huge commitment of resources and an inconvenience to many drivers.