At 5:33 a.m. today Troopers from the State Police-Newbury Barracks responded to a roll-over crash on Route 495 northbound near Exit 51B in Haverhill. Responding Troopers found a 2005 Ford Freestar van that had rolled over into an embankment, causing fatal injuries to the driver and non-fatal injuries to four passengers.
Preliminary investigation suggests another vehicle may have cut into the van’s lane of travel, causing the driver to swerve across all lanes and into and over the guardrail. The possible make and model of the other vehicle is not known at this time and remains part of the ongoing investigation.
The van’s driver, Alexander R. Nunez, 33, of Chelmsford was determined to be deceased at the scene. Four passengers were transported to Lawrence General Hospital: two adult women from Lawrence and an adult male from Lawrence all with serious injuries, and an adult woman from Lawrence with minor injuries.
Anyone who was on Route 495 in that time period and who may have seen the crash or the events leading up to it is urged to call State Police-Newbury at (978) 462-7478.
The investigation is being conducted by Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section. Troopers were assisted at the scene by Haverhill Police and Fire and Trinity Ambulance.
The right lane and breakdown lane at the crash site were closed for approximately three hours to accommodate the investigation.
