Two three-car crashes took place on opposite sides of I-290 in Worcester Friday morning, according to Massachusetts State Police.
Around 7:30 a.m., troopers responded to a three-car crash on the westbound side of the highway, State Trooper James D. DeAngelis wrote in an e-mail statement.
The crash took place on the Kenneth Burns Memorial Bridge, which connects Worcester and Shrewsbury over Lake Quinsigamond.
One of the vehicles involved was a 1997 Dodge Ram, driven by a 74-year-old man from Sun City, Ariz., which had an attached trailer carrying a boat, DeAngelis wrote. The truck and its trailer had jackknifed in the crash.
Two people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, DeAngelis wrote. The crash is still under investigation and no charges have yet been filed.
Shortly after police arrived at the first crash, a second three-car crash occurred on the eastbound side of the highway, right across from the crash on the westbound side, the statement said.
Two people sustained minor injuries, and that crash also remains under investigation, DeAngelis wrote.
“Curiosity about first crash likely caused the second,” State Police tweeted.
A heavy-duty “rotator” tow truck was used to remove the boat from the scene of the first crash, which caused lanes to be closed for an extended time, according to DeAngelis.
The scene was cleared at approximately 9:30 a.m.
Bailey Allen can be reached at bailey.allen@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @baileyaallen.