Crash on Mass. Pike in Auburn leaves 23-year-old dead

A 23-year-old man from Columbus, Ohio died Thursday after being involved in a three-car crash in Auburn.

Police said they responded to the scene at about 7:25 a.m. The crash occurred on a three-lane eastbound portion of the Massachusetts Turnpike.

A 2013 Mazda VST driven by the Ohio man sideswiped a 2020 Mazda CX5 operated by a 60-year-old Sturbridge man, Massachusetts State Police said they determined through a preliminary investigation. The Mazda CX5 was forced through a guardrail and down an embankment.

The Mazda VST then rear-ended a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 41-year-old Rhode Island woman, police said.

First responders brought the Ohio man to UMass Memorial Hospital-Lakeside, where he died.

Three other people were in the Mazda VST at the time of the crash. They were brought to the same hospital with minor injuries.

The Sturbridge man was transported to Saint Vincent Hospital, and the Rhode Island woman was uninjured.

Authorities closed down the right and middle lanes for about three hours. The crash remains under investigation.