HOPKINTON, Mass. — Massachusetts State Police are asking for help from the public in locating a tractor-trailer that hit and injured a lieutenant on Wednesday morning.
State police said the unidentified lieutenant noticed a tractor-trailer traveling ahead of him on I-495 north in Hopkinton pull into the breakdown lane because of a smoking tire.
He then pulled behind the vehicle and activated his lights to protect the truck and provide assistance to the driver.
NEW - @MassStatePolice (wed incident) tractor-trailer that hit trooper sent him spinning into cruiser on 495. Good Samaritan and another TT driver in the breakdown lane helped him. Trooper released from hosp. MSP still looking to ID TT driver/ learn why they drove in brkdwn lane pic.twitter.com/bGxoy7TP38
— Evan White (@EvanWhiteIII) June 17, 2021
As the lieutenant exited his cruiser, he saw a second tractor-trailer in the breakdown lane headed towards him at highway speed.
The tractor-trailer then attempted to swerve back into the travel lane. The truck’s cab was able able to do so and narrowly avoided hitting the lieutenant. However, the trailer it was pulling didn’t.
The lieutenant was standing up against his driver’s side door when the trailer made contact with him at full speed. He was spun around and was then pushed into the passenger side of the cruiser.
Tractor-Trailer Cab that struck MSP Trooper. pic.twitter.com/FyeyuTCt3E
— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) June 17, 2021
The force of the impact injured the lieutenant’s arms and hands.
The trailer did not make contact with the cruiser, and the damage to that vehicle was made by the lieutenant when he was slammed into it.
The lieutenant was transported to UMass Memorial in Worcester.
State police said the tractor-trailer involved in the incident had a blue cab and white trailer with a cab number of “L-795”. They also believe the truck’s make is Freightliner and may be from a model year from 1998-2001.
The truck may also have minor damage to its passenger side and may have white paint transfer from the cruiser on it. The trooper’s vehicle was white.
Anyone with information about the tractor-trailer or its driver is asked to call the Massachusetts State Police Charlton Barracks at 508-721-4040.
©2021 Cox Media Group