State Police Investigate Fatal Tractor-Trailer Crash on Route 495 North in Boxborough
State Police Investigate Fatal Tractor-Trailer Crash on Route 495 North in Boxborough
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Anthony DeLucia indicates that a 1998 Toyota Camry was traveling northbound on Route 495 when the driver began to lose control. A 1997 Mitsubishi Galant traveling behind the Toyota, swerved to avoid the Toyota and also went out of control. A Sterling tractor-trailer unit which was traveling behind both of these vehicles, swerved to avoid them and went out of control, hitting the guard-rail and then rolling over down an embankment and into the woods. A 1999 GMC T-Series box truck then struck the Mitsubishi which hit the Toyota. The operator of the Mitsubishi, Jose B. DeOliveira, age 53, of Ashland, MA and three passengers sustained non life-threatening injuries and were transported by ambulance to area hospitals. The operator of the Toyota, Bart J. Lagenelli, age 51, of Leicester, MA., was uninjured. 47 year-old Jack A. McPhail of Gray, Maine, operator of the tractor-trailer was pronounced deceased at the scene.
All lanes of Route 495 North were closed until approximately 8:20 a.m. when the left lane was opened. The entire roadway was opened at 9:30 a.m. The tractor-trailer will be left off-road at the scene until Saturday morning when the recovery process will be resumed.
This crash remains under investigation with the assistance of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section, and the State Police Detective Unit of Middlesex County. The Massachusetts Highway Department, Boxborough Fire Department and EMS, and Littleton Fire Department and EMS assisted at the scene.
No other information is available at this time. Please do not call the barracks directly.
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