A Massachusetts man killed in a multi-vehicle crash is being remembered as his services are announced.
According to police, on Monday at just before noon, Shrewsbury Police, Fire and Worcester EMS Paramedics were dispatched to Hartford Turnpike (Route 20) at the intersection of Edgemere Boulevard for a report of a motor vehicle crash with injury.
Upon arrival officers located 3 vehicles which were involved, a 2011 Honda Accord which was travelling Westbound, a 2019 Ford F-250 with a trailer attached to it, which was travelling Eastbound, and a 2005 Kenworth oil tanker truck which was in the Eastbound lane, waiting to turn left onto Edgemere Boulevard. Responding officers discovered the operator of the Honda unresponsive with serious injuries, and immediately began lifesaving measures. The operator of the Honda was transported to a local hospital, and tragically was later pronounced deceased.
He was 57-year-old Anastasios “Taso” Zahariadis of Oxford.
The initial investigation has revealed that the crash was a head on collision between the F-250 and the Honda, with the oil tanker truck sustaining secondary damage after the initial crash. The crash remains under investigation by Officers Charland and Fleury of Shrewsbury Police Department, officers from CEMLEC (Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council) Crash Reconstruction Team, and Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
According to an obituary, Zahariadis was born in New York City to Greek immigrant parents, he moved to Oxford as a teenager and worked in the family’s pizza restaurant business (Auburn Pizza), learning the value of hard work alongside his late father George and mother Vasiliki. A standout soccer player for Oxford High School and Worcester Olympia, he formed lifelong friendships through the sport, was known for his sense of humor and generosity, and remained devoted to his family.
Calling hours will be held Sunday, November 1st, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Webster, with the funeral service at 10 a.m. Monday, November 2, at the same church, followed by committal at North Cemetery in Oxford and a gathering at Point Breeze in Webster; in lieu of flowers, friends are invited to share stories and memories.
The Shrewsbury Police Department expressed their condolences to the loved ones of Zahariadis.
