MEC&F Expert Engineers : AN SUV WENT OFF THE MASS PIKE AND INTO THE QUABOAG RIVER IN PALMER. SNOWBANKS IN THE SHOULDER AND SPEED ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS ACCIDENT

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

AN SUV WENT OFF THE MASS PIKE AND INTO THE QUABOAG RIVER IN PALMER. SNOWBANKS IN THE SHOULDER AND SPEED ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS ACCIDENT








FEBRUARY 16, 2015

PALMER, MASSACHUSETTS. (WWLP)

A crane had to be brought in to remove an SUV that went off the Mass Pike and into the Quaboag River in Palmer Monday morning.

A 42-year-old Palmer woman sustained only minor injuries Monday morning when her SUV jumped over a guardrail on the Massachusetts Turnpike and plummeted into the frozen Quaboag River, police said.

According to the Massachusetts State Police, the woman was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for treatment of minor injuries in the crash and for exposure to the elements.

Her name was not disclosed to the press.
The accident happened just after 7 a.m., when the temperature was still below zero.

The vehicle, a Nissan Pathfinder, was heading west on the highway when it went off the road near Route 181. The vehicle tumbled down an embankment and into the Quaboag River, coming to rest on its side partially on a sheet of ice and partially in the water.

State Police troopers Tim Harrington and Michael Ofcarcik were credited with climbing into the water to help the driver out of her vehicle. The troopers did not require medical attention, state police said. 

The driver was taken to Baystate by the Palmer Fire Department. Palmer police also responded to the scene.

The vehicle was later hoisted out of the water by crane. It was raised back up to the turnpike where it was hauled away.

SUV plummets from Massachusetts Turnpike, lands in Quaboag River After the rescue, firefighters and workers from CJ's Towing Unlimited worked to hoist the vehicle from the river and back to the roadway.
State Police said the accident remains under investigation.

The woman was the sole occupant of the vehicle. There were no other injuries.

The accident would appear to the third instance in the last four days where a vehicle has vaulted over a guardrail on a state highway. In at least one of those instances, snowbanks along the side of the highway appeared to be a factor.  Basically, the snowbanks act a springboard, leading out of the road and into the embankment.  Speed also played a role here, as the driver failed to drive with extra caution considering the conditions of the roads.  It is winter time, slow down.  It is best to go to your current destination a bit late, than to go to your final destination very early.

On Friday morning, one driver escaped serious injury after jumping a guardrail on I-290 in Worcester and falling down a 40-foot embankment.
State police photos from the scene show snowbanks packed up against the guardrail. A set of tire tracks can be seen in the snowbank where the car went up and over the rail.

On Sunday at about 1:15 p.m., six people were injured in an accident on I-495 in Marlborough when their minivan went over the guardrail near Exit 25, according to state police.


       The vehicle went off the road and jumped the guardrail, coming to a rest    on Berlin Road. the six occupants all suffered what were described as minor injuries. They were taken by ambulance by UMass Medical Center in Worcester.





Michael Verseckes, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, said highway crews are continuing to clear breakdown lanes and shoulders of snow. 




"But as a reminder, roads can still be icy and drivers should be extra cautious, maintain control of their vehicle, and be mindful of other vehicles on the road around them," he said.




         Remember, if you must go, then take it slow.