A propane truck crashed into multiple vehicles on Route 190 North in West Boylston Sunday night, prompting a hazmat response and shutting down part of the highway while the driver was airlifted to a hospital. State police said the crash happened near the 6.8-mile marker, and the truck may have been leaking propane.
Massachusetts State Police troopers responded to the scene at about 8:30 p.m., according to a report from NBC Boston. Local first responders also arrived at the scene per state police, and a hazmat team was called in after reports of a possible propane leak. The driver of the truck was flown by helicopter to a local hospital for treatment, Boston 25 News reported.
Highway Closures and Detours
The crash forced a partial shutdown of Route 190, with traffic diverted off the highway at Exit 4 northbound and Exit 9 southbound. The ramps at Exit 6 were also closed to traffic. State police have not said what caused the crash, and the number of other vehicles involved was not immediately known, nor was the driver's condition, the outlet's report noted.
Whether propane actually leaked from the truck has not been confirmed — police said only that the tanker may have been leaking, which is why hazmat crews were dispatched to the scene. Investigators had not released further details on the cause of the collision as of Sunday night.
A Similar Scare on I-93 Last Year
Highway propane-truck crashes aren't unheard of in the region. In April 2025, a tractor-trailer driven by a Connecticut man pushed a propane truck off Interstate 93 in Bow, New Hampshire, near Mile 33 northbound, according to the same NBC Boston report cited above. That truck flipped onto its side in the median, started leaking gas and ignited a small brush fire. The truck had been carrying 128 gallons of propane, though officials never determined how much of it leaked out. No one was hurt in that incident, and it remained under investigation.
The West Boylston crash remains an active scene, with the extent of injuries and the cause still unclear. Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
