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Deer struck and killed on Pike near Prudential Tunnel; traffic backed up at Sagamore Bridge

E-mail|Link|Comments () May 25, 2009 02:45 PM

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

A car traveling eastbound on the Massachusetts Turnpike fatally struck a deer near Fenway Park this afternoon, briefly tying up traffic. No one was injured, according to police. The car, a vintage roadster, did not require a tow.

The accident happened shortly before 2 p.m. near the Prudential Tunnel, state police said. A state trooper responded quickly and removed the deer's body from the road, officials said.

Around the same time, an accident on Route 93 southbound backed up traffic near Neponset Circle.

A woman traveling in the left lane lost control of her Dodge Durango, striking a Jersey barrier and rolling onto its side. Although it skidded more than 100 feet, it was not struck by oncoming traffic, state police said. The driver, a 33-year-old woman from Boston, sustained only minor injuries, and three children who were riding in the car were unharmed. Police said all four were wearing their seatbelts.

With many holiday travelers leaving the Cape early in an effort to beat the traffic, backups at the Sagamore Bridge stretched as long as 8 miles by mid-afternoon.

Around 4 p.m., traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike was flowing smoothly except for a half-mile backup in Ludlow because of an accident.