Mass. State Police: At approximately 7:45 p.m. yesterday, Trooper Paul Bartlett, on patrol out of the Foxboro Barracks, was dispatched to Route 495 southbound in Wrentham for a single-vehicle crash on a stretch of road approaching a construction zone.
Trooper Bartlett’s investigation determined that a 2009 Toyota Corolla was being operated in the left lane by an 18-year-old man from Tiverton, R.I. The Corolla left the roadway, entered the median, and struck a highway warning sign about the upcoming lane closure. The impact brought the sign down through the car’s windshield, striking the operator in the head. Wrentham Fire and EMS transported the driver to Rhode Island Hospital with a head laceration.
The investigation indicates the driver was not paying attention to the traffic slowing in front of him because of the construction project. When the driver finally realized that traffic was stopped in front of him because of the lane merge, he tried to stop in time, but in doing so, he lost control, veered off the road to the left, and struck the sign.
The results of this crash could have been much worse for this driver. The moral of the story? Drive at reasonable speeds, pay attention to the traffic in front of you, and slow down when approaching construction zones. Your only responsibility as a driver is to pay attention to operation of your vehicle and be aware of the traffic around you. Do not let yourself become distracted from that responsibility.
