Serious fiery crash on I-95 turns fatal as two are ejected, another injured

Early Saturday morning, at approximately 12:50 a.m., troopers from the State Police – Newbury Barracks responded to reports of a crash on I-95 Northbound, prior to Exit 53A in Boxford.

Upon arrival, troopers discovered a 2009 Toyota Avalon had gone off the right side of the travel lanes, striking a guardrail and subsequently striking trees off the breakdown lane side of the highway. The driver, a 25-year-old woman, of Derry New Hampshire, and a passenger, Shana Fusco-Russell, 26, of Melrose, were both ejected from the vehicle. Both women sustained serious, life-threatening injuries. A second passenger, a 27-year-old man from Winthrop sustained minor injuries. The vehicle then caught fire, and was fully-engulfed when troopers arrived. All occupants were out of the vehicle when troopers arrived.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle had been traveling at a high rate of speed in the left travel lane, when for reasons still under investigation, crossed all travel lanes, striking the guardrail and trees.

The driver was transported by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital. Fusco-Russell was transported by ambulance to Beverly Hospital, then flown by medical helicopter to Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington where she was pronounced deceased as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. The second passenger with minor injuries, was transported by ambulance to Beverly Hospital.

Traffic on I-95 Northbound was temporarily closed and detoured off I-95 at Exit 52.

The remaining facts and circumstances remain under investigation by troopers assigned to the State Police Newbury Barracks, Troop A Headquarters, State Police Crime Scene Services Section (CSSS), State Police Collision Analysis Reconstruction Section (CARS), Boxford Police and Fire, Topsfield Police, Georgetown Police, Atlantic Ambulance Service, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MA DOT) all assisted on scene.