State Police: Pedestrian killed after attempting to cross three lanes of Massachusetts highway

Troopers responded to a crash on Tuesday night that resulted in the death of a pedestrian.

According to Dave Procopio of the Massachusetts State Police, preliminary investigation indicates that at just after 10:00 p.m., Carlos Vasquez, 45, of Bennington, Vt., was crossing all three lanes of Route 1 southbound in Saugus on foot from the area of a Burger King restaurant, near the Essex Street exit. Vasquez made it as far as the leftmost lane when he was struck by a southbound 2014 Nissan Maxima operated by a 60-year-old Wakefield man.

Vasquez sustained serious injuries and was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. The investigation suggests that he was crossing the highway to reach the northbound side, where his girlfriend was waiting for him.

The driver remained at the scene and was cooperative with Troopers. No charges have been filed to date; the investigation to determine if charges are warranted is ongoing.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section. Saugus Fire and Police assisted at the scene.

The two left lanes at the crash scene were closed until nearly midnight to accommodate the investigation. All lanes were reopened by 1:00 a.m.