All lanes on Route 1 in Saugus have reopened

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

All high-speed lanes on Route 1 in Saugus reopened today at about 4 p.m, after their closure following Saturday’s gasoline tanker crash that claimed the life of the driver and seriously injured a man in another vehicle, State Police said.

State Police spokesman David Procopio said the left lanes reopened this afternoon, and all lanes will be passable during the Monday morning commute.

All lanes were closed following the early morning crash; the right and middle lanes opened Saturday afternoon.

Procopio said traffic was slow this afternoon with a moderate backup in both directions while repairs continued around Essex Street, where the crash occurred. Workers made repairs to road deck, guardrail, and median in the area during the day, he said.

The accident occurred at about 2:15 a.m. Saturday when the driver of the tanker, Neal Michaud, 59, of Manchester, N.H., lost control of the truck, which crashed and rolled across the guardrail, into the southbound lane of the divided highway.

Michaud died at the scene. Another motorist, Kevin Fitzgerald, 60, of South Hamilton, suffered severe burns and was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, according to State Police.

Procopio said Fitzgerald remained in critical condition today at the hospital.

Three other motorists suffered minor injuries.

About 11,000 gallons of fuel spilled onto the road after the crash and ignited, setting fire to two greenhouse buildings, a house, fences, and several patches of brush, officials said.

Procopio said today that it could take weeks for authorities to determine the cause of the crash. He said on Saturday that the trucking company, PJ Murphy Transportation of Methuen, had a sound safety record.

Before Saturday, the company had reported one crash, which was non-fatal, in the past two years, according to the online database of the Federal Motor Safety Carrier Administration.