A driver has died following a severe car crash near Widett Circle in Boston earlier today, where a vehicle barreled off an on-ramp, plunged 40 feet, and caught fire upon landing. The tragic accident occurred when the car, for reasons not yet known, continued straight instead of taking a necessary left turn, striking a barrier and careening through it before its fiery descent, as reported by the Boston Globe.
According to Commissioner Paul Burke's account to reporters, the driver unfortunately did not survive the impact of the crash. It was a stroke of luck that no other vehicles were below the trajectory of the falling car, which landed on an off-ramp near Frontage Road close to several commuter rail tracks. These tracks were not damaged during the event; however, the accident did cause a temporary interruption to train services as emergency crews had to cross the tracks, as revealed in details from NBC Boston's coverage.
Following the extinguishing of the blaze by the Boston Fire Department, the driver, who was alone in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither the precise moment of death nor the gender of the driver could be ascertained at the time, as noted by the Boston Fire Department's spokesperson. Alongside the ongoing investigation by state police, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation informed via its X handle @MassDOT that the northbound lanes of I-93 were experiencing backups due to the investigation. Remnants of the earlier incident remained an obstacle some hours after the crash, according to the Boston Globe.
Damage from the crash was evident on the barrier at the intersection, this context was expanded on by the coverage from WCVB, which explained that the crash site had to be hidden by tents while crews worked through the wreckage near key infrastructure that included the Southeast Expressway and the Greater Boston Food Bank. "It's a tragic scene, we were fortunate there was no car underneath when it came down from the overpass," Commissioner Burke told WCVB, noting that the damage included a smashed outward fence.
