A Lawrence man has died following a grisly three-vehicle pile-up yesterday on Route 495, according to state police. The fatal incident occurred northbound near mile marker 84 in Westford around 6 PM, when a tractor-trailer collided with a Toyota Tacoma, killing the 26-year-old pickup truck driver at the scene.
The initial crash reportedly began when a Volkswagen EOS hit the front right side of the Freightliner tractor-trailer, sending it careening off-road and then back onto the pavement, where it crashed into and overrode a Tacoma, as per the Massachusetts State Police. Westford Fire and EMS staff attempted to extricate the Toyota driver, but he was pronounced deceased soon after their arrival.
Neither the drivers of the VW nor the tractor-trailer sustained injuries in the crash. The State Police-Concord Barracks is investigating the accident with help from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, and State Police Crime Scene Services Section.
In the wake of the tragedy, the left and center travel lanes of Route 495 were shut down to allow for clean-up and recovery efforts. Details surrounding the cause of the collision remain unclear, but the State Police are delving further into the circumstances leading up to the fatal event. More information will be released as the investigation continues.
