Police attempted to stop a speeding driver Friday before he slammed his car into a garbage truck on a busy roadway in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, officials announced.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Tyngsborough Chief of Police Richard Howe confirm they are investigating the fatal crash that occurred shortly after 1 p.m. Friday on Westford Road.
According to a joint statement from Ryan and Howe, the Tyngsborough Police Department was contacted Friday by a caller to conduct a well-being check on one of the city's residents.
At approximately 1:08 p.m., officers were responding to the caller's home when they saw a red Toyota Corolla being driven at a high rate of speed that matched the vehicle description given by the caller.
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Officers then attempted to stop the car unsuccessfully. Officials say the Corolla driver allegedly sped away, made a right onto Westford Road, crossed the center line and struck a garbage truck head-on.
The Corolla driver was pronounced dead on scene, officials said. The driver of the garbage truck was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
In a statement to NBC10 Boston, the company that owns the garbage truck said, "Republic Services of Tyngsborough is fully cooperating with local authorities who are investigating the incident Friday afternoon in Tyngsborough. Any further inquiries should be directed to the local authorities."
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At least one witness told NBC10 Boston that she saw the car go by, followed by police cars. Officials have not said whether or not the car was being actively pursued by police at the time of the crash.
Both vehicles sustained significant damage, with the car ending up off the roadway and into the woods.
The road was shut down between the Tyngsborough Sportsmen's Club to Middlesex Road for nearly seven hours, and drivers were asked to avoid the area. Tyngsborough police said Westford Road had been cleared just before 8:30 p.m. and is now open.
No charges have been filed, and no additional information is being released at this time.
This is an open and ongoing investigation being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, Massachusetts State Police detectives, the Tyngsborough Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police collision analysis and reconstruction section.
