Two people died and severalmore were transported by helicopter to Boston hospitals after two separate car accidents Wednesday, one in Middleborough and the other on Martha’s Vineyard, according to State Police.
The two-vehicle crash on South Main Street in Middleborough happened at the intersection of Interstate 495 and Route 105 and resulted in two fatalities Wednesday evening, Middleborough police said.
State Police, who assisted in the investigation, said in a statement that they temporarily closed I-495 on both northbound and southbound sides to allow two medical helicopters to land.
Two other victims were seriously injured in the crash, State Police said.
As of approximately 8:40 p.m., authorities reopened I-495 in both directions. The ramp from I-495 southbound to Route 105 reopened Wednesday night, State Police said.
Five passengers were injured in a two-vehicle crash on Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday afternoon. Three were taken by helicopter to Boston hospitals, according to a statement from the State Police.
State Police responded to the crash on Barnes Road Extension, near an airport Mobil station, at 2:20 p.m.
“It appears that two vehicles were traveling in the same direction when a Jeep of a newer model pulls up on the right side of the road,” State Police spokesman David Procopio said.
As the second car tried to pass, the driver of the Jeep tried to make a U-turn and collided with the passing car, Procopio said.
A 21-year-old woman from Berlin, N.H., was ejected from the Jeep’s back seat. She suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported by medical helicopter to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said Procopio.
Her fellow back seat passenger, a man in his early 20s from Dummer, N.H., also suffered potential life-threatening injuries and was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A third victim, a 52-year-old woman also from Dummer, N.H., also suffered serious injuries and was transported to another Boston hospital. An additional passenger in the Jeep, as well as a person riding in the second car, sustained minor injuries.
State Police are still investigating the exact sequence of events.