A 56-year-old motorcyclist was killed Friday morning after colliding with another vehicle near 318 Lockes Village Road in Wendell, a quiet stretch of Franklin County roadway that was shut down for hours as investigators worked the scene. The crash happened at approximately 6:30 a.m., and the rider was pronounced dead where the collision occurred.
According to recorder.com, a preliminary investigation found that the motorcycle and the other vehicle were traveling in opposite directions when they collided. No further detail on how the two vehicles came together has been released, and the cause of the crash has not been determined.
Driver Stayed at the Scene, Cooperated With Police
The driver of the other vehicle remained at the scene following the crash and is cooperating with investigators, Western Mass News reported. No charges had been filed as of the time of that report.
Per Franklin County Now, the Massachusetts State Police detective unit is investigating the crash. The agency has not released additional details about the circumstances leading up to the collision.
Lockes Village Road Closed for Hours
The roadway was closed for about four hours between Jennison Road and West Street while crews worked the scene, the station's report notes, citing wwlp.com's coverage of the closure. The stretch runs through a rural section of Wendell, and the closure affected travel through the area during the morning commute.
This marks at least the third fatal motorcycle crash reported in western Massachusetts in recent months. A 37-year-old motorcyclist died after colliding with a tractor-trailer in Granby, according to MassLive, and a motorcyclist also died following a crash at Berkshire Avenue and Marsden Street in Springfield, per wwlp.com.
The Wendell crash remains under investigation. No further updates on the status of the inquiry had been released at the time of reporting.
