Crash claimed college buddies
Cops: No chance of avoiding wrong-way driver
MIDDLEBORO — A heartbroken dad whose son was killed in a fiery head-on collision on Interstate 495 in Middleboro said “I love them all” as he spoke of his boy and three college buddies who died in a midnight crash police said was caused by a wrong-way driver.
“I loved him to death. He was a very good student, good guy — very popular,” said Rodney Fisher, 52, father of Jordan Fisher, 19. Jordan was one of three cousins killed — four passengers total — who rode in a 2003 Mercury Sable, the eldest Fisher said.
State police said the Sable was struck head-on by a 31-year-old woman behind the wheel of a 2011 Infiniti G37 headed southbound on northbound I-495 just after midnight yesterday.
The elder Fisher said the cousins and their friend were all students at Worcester area colleges. Jordan was returning to Becker College, where he was a freshman, his father said.
“They will all surely be missed, that’s for sure. I love them all,” Rodney Fisher said.
State police did not identify any of the victims by name, only saying the passengers in the Sable included a 20-year-old man from Paxton and Osterville, a 19-year-old man from Hyannis, a 19-year-old man from Harwich, and an 18-year-old man from West Babylon, N.Y.
The driver of the Infiniti had a last known address in Fall River, cops said. State police said they continue to probe “why she ended up driving on the wrong side of the highway.”
Troop D Commander Anthony Thomas, in describing a “horrific scene” just north of Exit 3, said: “Unfortunately, there are five families whose lives have changed forever.”
The four men, authorities said, were in the high-speed lane of the two-lane highway about 12:10 a.m. when they encountered the wrong-way driver. The Mercury Sable sedan and Infiniti coupe hit head-on so hard that both cars went airborne before the Sable exploded in flames, authorities said.
“There is no indication that time allowed for evasive action by the northbound motor vehicle operator to avoid the vehicle traveling the wrong way,” Thomas said.
Middleboro fire Chief Lance Benjamino, demonstrating the force of the impact by pounding his knuckles together, said all five victims were hopelessly trapped in the mangled wrecks.
“There was no identification left. There was nothing,” Benjamino said of the young men.
“As they extinguished the fire, they realized there was more than one occupant in the other vehicle — four males under the age of 25 consumed by the fire,” he said. “They were entrapped in the vehicle. The vehicle actually collapsed in on them.
“We took the top off and basically rolled it outward to get them out with the dignity and respect they deserved,” said Benjamino.
The extrication took more than five hours and required two sets of Jaws of Life. The driver’s side door of the Infiniti had to be cut off, as well, to free the woman’s remains, he said.
The charred Mercury was towed in pieces to Wareham. Inside the crushed cabin were flattened water bottles, a laptop computer with psychology notes taped to it, an unidentifiable textbook, clothing and a purple backpack.
Thomas said it’s likely the wrong-way driver had not been on I-495 for too long, and that her probable access points in the area are marked “Wrong Way” and “Do Not Enter.”
Benjamino said his crews from Engines 1 and 2 will receive critical incident stress debriefing and counseling.