State Police Investigate Fatal Crash on Route 495 in Chelmsford
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Sharon Basteri indicates that 22-year-old Kaitlyn Driscoll of Fitchburg was operating a 2000 Dodge Intrepid sedan in the left lane of Route 495 North in Chelmsford when her vehicle lost control and entered into the middle lane, where the passenger side rear of her vehicle collided with the driver side front of a 2004 Kenworth tractor trailer. After this initial collision, the tractor trailer lost control, exited the road to the left, crossed through the median, broke through a guardrail, and entered into the southbound lanes of Route 495. The tractor trailer crossed all three lanes of Route 495 South and collided head-on with a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado pickup operated by 67-year-old Charles Butzer of Sanford, North Carolina, that was traveling in the middle lane. Butzer sustained serious injuries in the crash and was declared deceased at the scene. The operator of the tractor trailer, 46-year-old Jody Anderson of Millville, New Jersey, received minor injuries in the crash and was transported by ambulance to Lowell General Hospital. Driscoll was uninjured in the crash.
This crash remains under investigation with the assistance of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section, and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section. The Chelmsford Fire Department, Chelmsford Police Department and MassHighway assisted troopers on scene.
Due to the crash investigation and vehicle removal, all lanes of Route 495 South were closed for approximately 2½ hours. During this time, traffic was diverted off of Route 495 South at Route 3 (exit 35).
No further information is available at this time. Please do not call the barracks directly