16 year old dead, five injured in Thursday evening crash on Route 24

Massachusetts State Police Troopers from State Police-Dartmouth continue to investigate last night’s three-vehicle crash on Route 24 northbound in Freetown. The crash claimed the life of a 16-year-old passenger from one of the vehicles.

At approximately 8:40 p.m. Thursday, a 2008 Mazda 5 hatchback with five occupants was traveling north on Route 24, prior to Exit 10, when its driver swerved to the left to avoid a deer in the roadway. The Mazda exited the western edge of the roadway and struck the median guardrail, causing the vehicle to rotate and roll over, coming to rest in the left travel lane. During this sequence of events, a 16-year-old male passenger from Taunton was ejected from the hatchback onto the roadway.

Simultaneously, a northbound 2018 Audi Q5 SUV traveling in the left lane observed debris from the Mazda; its driver braked suddenly and stopped the Audi in the left travel lane. The Audi avoided striking the ejected passenger who was in the left lane.

Simultaneously, a 2005 Saturn sedan was also travelling northbound in the left travel lane. The driver of that vehicle also observed debris and the other two vehicles ahead in left lane and median. That driver also applied emergency braking, but struck the ejected passenger in the left travel lane and then struck the Audi Q5.

The 16-year-old male was determined to be deceased at the scene. Because he is a juvenile we will not release his name.

The driver of the Mazda, a 38-year-old Taunton woman, and another passenger, a 21-year-old Taunton woman, were transported to Rhode Island Hospital by ambulance with injuries believed to be minor.

Two other passengers in the Mazda, an 11-year-old girl and a 4-year-old girl, both of Taunton, were transported by ambulance to Hasbro Children’s Hospital for evaluation and treatment of injuries believed to be minor.

The driver and sole occupant of the Audi, a 60-year-old Halifax man, was not injured.

The driver and sole occupant of the Saturn, a 31-year-old Boston man, was transported by ambulance to Charlton Memorial Hospital with injuries believed to be minor.

All three vehicles were towed from the scene.

The crash remains under investigation by Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and the State Police Detective Unit for Bristol County. Two travel lanes were closed until just after 11 p.m. to facilitate the rescue response and crash investigation.