A wrong-way crash on Interstate 290 in Northborough erupted into a deadly inferno Wednesday night, killing a Northborough woman and injuring another driver as flames shut down the eastbound side of the highway for hours. Fire crews arrived to find a Subaru and a Jeep fully engulfed, one of them resting on its side, and spent about 30 minutes beating back the fire while first responders searched the wreckage. Eastbound traffic on I-290 was halted for an extended stretch as investigators documented the scene and debris was cleared.
According to Boston 25 News, crews were called around 8:57 p.m. to I-290 eastbound near Exit 27 (Hudson Street/Solomon Pond Road) after multiple 911 callers reported a serious head-on collision. Firefighters found both vehicles on fire. The driver of one vehicle managed to escape and was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, while the driver of the Subaru was pronounced dead at the scene.
State police and MassDOT said all eastbound traffic was diverted at Exit 27 and the stretch of highway starting at Exit 28 was shut down while crews worked the scene, according to CBS Boston. Drivers were urged to seek alternate routes and brace for delays during the investigation.
State Speeds Up Wrong-Way Detection Rollout
The Northborough crash comes just days after Governor Maura Healey announced a statewide push to install wrong-way detection technology and upgraded signage at hundreds of ramps, an effort officials say is aimed squarely at reducing deadly head-on collisions. As outlined by The Boston Globe, the plan calls for thermal cameras, flashing LED WRONG WAY signs and other ramp redesigns at more than 400 locations, with installation work expected to continue through 2026 and 2027.
Wrong-Way Crashes: The Numbers
AAA and state crash data show that wrong-way incidents remain a stubborn danger on Massachusetts roads. AAA found more than 5,700 wrong-way crashes statewide between 2018 and 2025, resulting in roughly 135 deaths, according to WBUR. Transportation officials say the new detection systems have already prevented at least one potentially serious incident during recent pilot deployments.
State and local police continue to investigate the Northborough crash, and authorities have not released the victim’s name or determined a cause, according to Boston 25 News. MassDOT officials told GBH News that the broader rollout will include improved pavement markings, ramp redesigns and sensors that can trigger LED warnings and alert law enforcement, with work staged over the next several years.
State police say the crash remains under investigation and that travel advisories will stay in place while lanes are closed, according to CBS Boston. Officials have asked drivers to avoid the area and follow detours until crews finish their work.
