TOPSFIELD – Massachusetts State Police Report: Friday afternoon, numerous Massachusetts State Police patrols responded to a crash on Route 95 in Topsfield that involved three vehicles and resulted in a fatality to one occupant and life-threatening injuries to a second.
Two occupants of one of the involved vehicles fled the scene on foot; one was captured and investigation seeking the other is ongoing.
At approximately 4:17 PM a 2008 GMC Acadia SUV occupied by two Lynn men was southbound on Route 95 in the area of mile marker 71 when, for reasons still under investigation, it suddenly and rapidly decelerated and came to a stop. Simultaneously, a 52-year-old Peabody man operating a 2007 Chevrolet Impala behind the Acadia began to brake in an attempt to avoid hitting the stopped Acadia.
As the Impala decelerated, it veered to its left, toward the grass median. At the same time, a 2006 Chevrolet Express Van traveling in the leftmost of the four southbound lanes began to slow and move to its left in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid a collision with the Impala. The Impala struck the Express Van, causing the van to leave the roadway and slide across the grass median, eventually rolling over one-and-a-half times.
As the Express Van rolled over two of its four occupants were ejected.
One of the ejected victims, a passenger in the van identified as Valkisergio Costa Silva, 44, of Centerville, was determined to be deceased at the scene. The second victim ejected from the van, a 30-year-old male passenger, suffered serious life-threatening injuries and was transported by Boston MedFlight to Boston Medical Center.
The van’s third passenger, a 53-year-old male (address unknown at this time) was transported by ambulance to an area hospital with serious injuries. The van’s operator, a 32-year-old Yarmouth male, was transported by ambulance to an area hospital with minor injuries.
The operator of the Impala, which came to rest on the edge of the median, had no apparent injuries.
Following the crash of the other two vehicles, the Acadia pulled over to the breakdown lane. The two male occupants of the Acadia subsequently fled on foot into the adjacent woods, prompting an extensive search by numerous patrol Troopers, State Police K9 Unit teams, and a State Police Air Wing helicopter crew.
One of the Acadia occupants who fled, later identified as DAVID GUZMAN, 30, of Lynn, was located and apprehended by Troopers a short time later. The second occupant, believed to be a Lynn male who was driving the Acadia, was observed by witnesses running in the area of the 17th and 18th holes at the Ferncroft Country Club’s golf course. That suspect, last seen running toward the club’s parking lot, is described as a Hispanic male who was wearing a gray T-shirt. He is still being sought.
GUZMAN was charged with interfering with a police officer and booked at the State Police-Newbury Barracks. A bail clerk responded to the barracks and set a cash bail, which GUZMAN posted. His court appearance is pending.
The crash remains under investigation by the State Police-Newbury Barracks, the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, the State Police Detective Unit for Essex County, and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
The rescue response and crash investigation necessitated the closing of three southbound lanes and two northbound lanes for varying periods of time. The scene was cleared at 7:39 PM.
