Man, 19, killed in Ashland accident

A 19-year-old Ashland man died Monday night in a crash while racing another vehicle on Eliot Street, police said.

John Curtin was pronounced dead on the scene after he crashed into a telephone pole while trying to pass the vehicle driven by Robert Supple, 19, near a curve in the road and lost control of his car, Sergeant Steven Zanella of the Ashland Police Department said.

Supple was treated for minor injuries at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham and arraigned yesterday on charges of reckless driving, driving under the influence, racing, and speeding, police said.

Curtin was allegedly driving about 70 miles per hour in a 25 mile-per-hour zone when he tried to pass Supple.

"Curtin's car sideswiped the telephone pole and took it out of the ground," Zanella said. "His car was literally embedded on the pole."

A passenger in Curtin's car was treated for a minor shoulder injury at MetroWest Medical Center and released Monday night, police said.

Police found beer cans and vodka bottles in Curtin's car, but there was no evidence that he was driving under the influence, Zanella said. There was also an open can of beer on a lawn that appeared to have been from one of the cars, police said.

"It was basically two teenagers going from point A to point B fooling around," Zanella said. "They were less than a mile from their intended destination, another friend's house in the area."

This crash occurred during a summer of increased accidents, he said.

Curtin's family declined to comment yesterday.