A 19-year-old Plymouth man was taken into custody following a multi-car crash Friday night at the base of the Sagamore Bridge that claimed the life of a 79-year-old woman and seriously injured her companion, according to Massachusetts State Police.
State police say shortly before 7 p.m. the Plymouth man was driving in the left lane on Route 6 west when he tried to illegally pass another vehicle by shifting into the right lane. The man’s vehicle, state police say, did not have enough clearance and crashed into a Toyota Corolla already traveling in the right lane. Following the collision, the Corolla hit the curb, spun across the median and crashed into another car traveling in the opposite direction, state police said in a news release.
The head-on collision led to the death of Martha Sheldon, 79, of Plymouth, a passenger in the Corolla, state police said. The 83-year-old man who was driving the car was seriously injured.
Crews from Bourne Fire and Rescue arrived in just under two minutes and used hydraulic cutting tools to free the injured people from the car, according to interim Fire Chief David S. Pelonzi. A fire/rescue lieutenant on the scene asked for medical evacuation helicopters, but none were available, he said in an email to the Times. Two other people were evaluated on scene but not taken to hospitals. Crews also helped contain fluid leaks from the vehicles after the crash.
The Plymouth Fire Department lent a hand at the scene and the Sandwich Fire Department sent crews, but they were canceled en route, Pelonzi said. Bourne Fire/Rescue crews remained until 10:42 p.m., helping with keeping the area safe while police investigated.
Following the crash, the 19-year-old Plymouth man was “taken into custody” on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, state police said.
For the safety of motorists, investigators, and highway workers, officials closed both lanes of travel to the Cape (Route 6 east) and the left lane of travel off the Cape (Route 6 west) for several hours. In addition to troopers from Troop D, MassDOT, State Police Collision Analysis & Reconstruction Section, and State Police Crime Scene Services Section responded to the scene.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Plymouth man, 19, faces charge following Sagamore Bridge fatality
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