State and local police were on scene early Sunday morning on Route 1 in Revere near Saugus.
That’s where authorities say a wrong-way driver traveling south on the northbound side of Route 1, struck another car and burst into flames.
The crash killed the wrong-way driver.
The driver of the second car suffered only minor injuries.
Authorities say the driver killed was a 17-year-old senior at Triton Regional High School in Byfield.
In a statement, the superintendent said the community is heartbroken.
“Our student was highly involved and connected to many within the Triton Community. Those who knew him saw daily how kind and caring he was to each and every member or our school community,” Triton Regional School District Superintendent Brian Forget said.
Massachusetts House Minority Leader Bruce Tarr tells us the tragedy is having a deep impact on his community.
“This is a loss, a grievous loss that everyone in those communities will feel. It’s incumbent on all of us right now to support them as much as we possibly can, to realize that these kinds of losses are unthinkable and try to help everyone make it one hour to the next hour,” Rep. Bruce Tarr said.
For the next week, grief counselors will be available to all students who are struggling with this sudden loss.
Meanwhile, State Police investigators are working to determine exactly how this happened: why this driver was on the wrong side of the highway, and what can be done to prevent future tragedies.
It is a difficult time.
“I’ve been driving for a long time. When you are just starting out, it can be difficult to concentrate. There are so many distractions these days. That’s what causes a lot of problems too,” said Peter Bridger of Hamilton.
“How does a death like this, affect a community like this?” Boston 25’s Bob Ward asked Dr. David Lebowitz of Ipswich.
“It affects it deeply. A lot of people know the person. They may have been important in their community. Even at age 17 they may have been a star on one of the sports teams. It could have been the son of a policeman. It could have been anybody,” he said.
Authorities have not publicly released the names of the people involved in the crash.
The Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Suffolk County DA’s Office is investigating the case.
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