GLOUCESTER, Mass. — Five people were injured in an early morning head-on crash on the North Shore Monday morning.
Members of the Gloucester Fire and Police Departments, as well as Massachusetts State Police, responded to the Route 128 Bridge over the Annisquam River for a reported head-on collision around 1:45 a.m.
One of the involved vehicles had rolled over on its roof, leaving two people trapped inside. Gloucester firefighters had to use hydraulic rescue tools to cut the crash victims free.
One of the trapped people, an 18-year-old man, was flown to a Boston hospital by medical helicopter in critical condition.
Three other people in the vehicles, two 19-year-old women and a male in his 80s, were rushed to Beverly Hospital. One of those two teenage women was later taken to Tufts New England Medical Center in critical condition. The man in his 80s was also taken to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, where he is in critical condition, officials say. The other teenage woman was released.
Another 18-year-old man was taken to Addison Gilbert Hospital by a private vehicle. An update on his condition was not immediately available.
“There was debris everywhere, the car was smoking, it was a very scary, horrific scene,” said Caydence Martin, who came across the crash scene first. “I instantly throw my car into park, I call 911, and I’m frantic, I’m panicking, I’m like there’s two cars, really bad crash, everyone is screaming, I see blood, I think somebody may be unresponsive.”
“Somebody obviously got onto the highway on the wrong on-ramp and you’ve got two vehicles coming at the speed limit, 55 miles per hour, reaction time is really hard to make – to avoid a tragic result,” said Mayor Greg Verga of Gloucester. “The city is reeling from this without a doubt.”
Mayor Verga says this crash has deeply impacted this small city, and he feels for the parents of all the young people involved.
“I’m sure once these names are released most people in town will have connection to one of them and it’s going to be felt a lot harder once that’s known,” said Mayor Verga.
Martin says she later learned she knew all of the teens who were in that car that rolled onto its roof.
She says she just graduated high school with one of the boys who’s now fighting for his life, and the other three victims graduated last year.
“Very out of body, very shocking, still trying to process it all,” said Martin.
“Focus all the positive energy that you have towards their healing for them and for their families because this is, it’s going to be a long road to recovery,” said Mayor Verga.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing by Massachusetts State Police.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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