Car accidents: Man dead in Massachusetts

A 31-year-old man tragically lost his life after a serious crash in Cummington, according to local reports. Massachusetts State Police are typically charged with investigating car accidents that occur on state thoroughfares. So far, this investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed against either driver involved in the crash.

The accident report confirms the man, whose name has not been released by police, was a passenger in a car traveling on Route 9 on the afternoon of April 24. It appears a vehicle headed the other direction, driven by a 27-year-old woman, crossed the center line into oncoming traffic. She struck the other vehicle head-on. Both she and her passenger, a female toddler, were rushed to local hospitals with serious injuries.

The driver of the struck vehicle was also seriously hurt and rushed to a hospital. The 31-year-old passenger was the most badly wounded: he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead while under medical care. Police have not determined what caused the woman to change lanes in this way.

In car accidents of this type, there appears to be a clear cause for the crash itself, if not for the motivation of the driver. It remains to be seen if Massachusetts law enforcement authorities will file criminal charges against the driver whose vehicle veered into the wrong lane. Regardless, the surviving family of the deceased man as well as the other injured parties are entitled to file wrongful death and/or personal injury lawsuits, as applicable, against her in civil court.

Source: wwlp.com, “Man killed in Route 9 crash identified”, Anthony Fay, April 25, 2017