Massachusetts State Police investigating fatal Northborough crash as wrong-way collision

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. — Just before 9 PM Wednesday night, first responders found a horrific scene on Route 290 in Northboro.

“Northboro Fire Alarm transmitting on box alarm for the MVA. It’s going to be on 290 East Bound. I believe it’s a wrong-way head-on collision,” Northboro Emergency Dispatch was heard on a radio transmission as recorded by Rangecast.

Two vehicles, a Subaru and a Jeep, were engulfed in fire.

Traffic alert: Car fire on I-290 East shuts down lanes in Northborough

A State Police trooper was among the first on the scene, feared the worst, as recorded on Rangecast.

In those first moments, it wasn’t clear how many people were trapped in the vehicles.

“I cannot get them out. Fully engulfed. Two vehicles fully engulfed,” the Trooper said.

Northboro’s Fire Chief said that when his department’s Engine One first arrived, one woman, the driver of the Jeep, was standing on the side of the highway.

“She was able to talk, she was confused and had non-life-threatening injuries,” Fire Chief Neal Aspesi said. “It was amazing that she was able to get out just from the volume of fire on the vehicle.”

But for the driver of the Subaru, the Fire Chief said it was too late.

“There was nothing any crews were going to be able to do to save that patient,” Chief Aspesi said.

State police are investigating the crash as a wrong-way collision.

This happened as one vehicle was driving west in the eastbound lane of Route 290 at mile marker 29.

Just one week ago, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey in the wake of State Police Trooper Kevin Trainor’s death in a wrong-way crash, announced a new initiative involving signage and technology to better protect drivers.

“I want every resource, every tool, every technology deployed, used, here in Massachusetts on our roadways to prevent and to stop wrong way driving,” Governor Healey said in a June 17^th news conference.

Back in Northboro, as police investigate what happened, the Fire Chief hopes something changes soon.

“There’s been such an uptick, it seems, in wrong-way drivers in this state, for whatever reason that may be,” the Chief said.

The State Police assigned to the Worcester County DA’s office is investigating this crash.

At press time, the identities of the drivers were not released.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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