Officials release name of victim in fatal wrong-way crash on Route 495

Officials have released the name of a victim in a fatal crash this weekend.

According to Dave Procopio of Massachusetts State Police, just before 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, MSP received calls reporting a wrong way driver going south on the northbound side of 495 in Mansfield; cruisers started responding to the area in an attempt to locate/stop the wrong way vehicle.

At approximately 2:57 a.m., cruisers arrived at the scene of a head-on crash caused by the wrong way driver. Subsequent investigation indicates that the wrong-way vehicle, a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder being operated by a 35-year-old Pawtucket, R.I. resident, traveling southbound on Route 495 north, collided head-on with a 2019 Toyota Camry that had been traveling in the correct direction on Route 495 north.

The driver of the Toyota had obvious fatal injuries at the scene. She was identified as Kerrie Dolbashian, 31, of Smithfield, R.I. The driver of the Nissan suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries and was transported by Med-Flight to Brigham and Woman’s Hospital.

The facts and circumstances of the crash are under investigation by Troop H of the Massachusetts State Police with assistance from the MSP Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services Section, and State Police Detective Unit for Bristol County. Procopio stated that the results of that investigation will determine whether the other driver will be charged, and if so, with what offenses.