State Police Investigate Fatal Crash on Route 93 Off-Ramp in Woburn
At 8:14 p.m. Wednesday, a motorist called the State Police barracks in Andover to report an erratic driver on Route 495. The caller updated the barracks that the motor vehicle being driven erratically, had entered Route 93 Southbound. State Police broadcast a description of the vehicle, a silver 2005 Subaru Baja with a dealer license plate, and determined that the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Haverhill earlier in the night.
A few minutes later, a trooper observed the Subaru on Route 93 Southbound in Wilmington and pulled behind it in an attempt to stop it. The Subaru immediately fled from the trooper at a high rate of speed. Approximately a minute later, the trooper lost sight of the fleeing suspects and continued to drive south on Route 93. A few moments later, the trooper observed the vehicle again on the ramp off the Commerce Way exit, about a mile ahead of him. The suspects' vehicle crashed on that ramp.
As a result of the crash, the Subaru's driver, AARON DAVIS, 38, of Haverhill was ejected from the vehicle. He was transported by ambulance to the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, where he was pronounced deceased. The Subaru's passenger, CHRISTOPHER SMITH-HARRELL, 22, of Haverhill, who was not injured, was arrested by troopers at the scene and charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle. SMITH-HARRELL was arraigned today in the Lawrence District Court and ordered to return to court Dec. 3 for a pretrial hearing.
The crash remains under investigation with the assistance of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section. Troopers were also assisted by Woburn Police, Woburn Fire, and the Massachusetts Highway Department. Due to the crash and subsequent investigation, the Commerce Way ramp was closed for approximately four hours.
No further information is available at this time. Please do not call the barracks directly.