17-year-old killed after being partially ejected in multi-vehicle crash in Rhode Island

A local teenager is dead after a crash late Thursday night.

According to police, at approximately 10:45 p.m., a 17-year-old motorist travelling on Mendon Road in Cumberland died as a result of injuries sustained when his vehicle struck another at the intersection with Vivian Avenue.

The sole occupant, a male from Woonsocket, was travelling southbound, in the northbound lane, on Mendon Road when another vehicle was struck as it was turning from Vivian Avenue onto Mendon. The decedent’s vehicle exited the roadway after the initial collision, subsequently severing a telephone pole and striking a fire hydrant and returned back to the roadway after tumbling a great distance. The vehicle came to rest on its side in the area of Grand Avenue with the occupant having been partially ejected.

The preliminary investigation determined the operator to not be wearing a seatbelt, as the driver’s side seatbelt receiver had a device installed to prevent the buckle from being inserted.

The victim was transported by Cumberland Emergency Medical Services to Rhode Island Hospital, while the driver of the other vehicle refused medical assistance on scene.

Cumberland Police officers were called out to the scene to assist Rhode Island State Police accident reconstruction members, and early findings point to speed and driving behavior as contributing factors in the crash.

Cumberland Police Chief Matthew Benson provided, “On behalf of the Cumberland Police Department, I offer my condolences to this young man’s family, friends, and loved ones. This tragic loss of a young life is heartbreaking, yet avoidable. I would like to remind all motorists to always wear their seatbelt and drive within a safe, and appropriate, speed and manner. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the Rhode Island State Police for their assistance with this case.”