Woman killed in single-vehicle crash in Halifax

By Jeff Fish, Globe Correspondent

A 26-year-old woman was killed in Halifax early Saturday morning after her SUV slammed into a tree, according to the Halifax Fire Department.

Caitlin Ledwell of Halifax was driving her 2011 Nissan Rogue around 100 miles per hour on South Street, before careening off the road and striking a tree about two feet in diameter, said Halifax Fire Chief William Carrico.

When officials arrived on scene at about 12:22 a.m., nearby residents had pulled the victim from the wreckage. She was transported to Brockton Hospital where she died, said Carrico.

The impact of the crash made the tree “split the car in half,” said Carrico. “[The tree] was between the passenger and driver’s seats, one of the wheels was about 100 feet up the road, and the car exploded.”

Carrico had foreseen the number of accidents on the road increasing, since it was recently paved. “The road was in pretty bad condition,” preventing people from speeding, said Carrico.

The road is mostly straight except for a slight curve, Carrico said. “That’s where she wiped out.”