Thursday, 4:30 PM
Two drivers killed, two hurt in crashes
By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff
A series of single-car crashes this morning in Eastern Massachusetts left two women dead and two teenagers with life-threatening injuries, according to the State Police.
Authorities said it is too early to determine if icy roads played a factor in any of the wrecks, but excessive speed is being considered as a factor in one of the fatalities. All four victims were drivers and there were no other occupants in the vehicles.
The first crash happened at 1:30 a.m. on Route 195 in Swansea. Sarah A. Coggeshall, 30, of Marion, lost control of her 1997 Toyota Tacoma, which veered off the left shoulder into the median, continued through a wooded area and rolled over, coming to rest on its roof. Coggeshall, who was wearing her seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The left lane of Route 195 East was closed for three hours.
About 90 minutes later, a 19-year-old man driving east on Bacon Street in Natick lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line, and hit a snow bank. Authorities believe the vehicle went airborne before it hit a tree in the front yard of a house. The victim, whose name was not released, is in critical condition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Then, at about 8:45 a.m., a 1998 Toyota Camry traveling east on Route 6 in Sandwich veered left then right and rolled over. The female driver was ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name is being withheld pending notification of family. According to a State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction team, excessive speed may have been a factor.
The last accident occurred at 9 a.m. in Bolton, when a 17-year-old driver crashed on I-495 South of Route 11. The victim, whose identity was withheld, was rushed to a hospital with critical injuries.
