The car burst into flames after crashing into one or more utility poles alongside Route 202, also known as Daniel Shays Highway. The fatal crash knocked out power to about 400 utility customers.
Public safety officials responded to the scene of a fatal, one-car crash on Route 202 in Belchertown late Monday night. Authorities have yet to publicly identify the driver, who crashed into one or more utility poles alongside the roadway.Updates a story published at 1:41 a.m. Tuesday, May 15.
UPDATE: As of 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, May 15, National Grid is reporting that less than five customers are still without power due to Monday night's motor vehicle crash in Belchertown. The crash initially knocked out electricity to nearly 400 utility customers.
BELCHERTOWN – A motorist was killed in a fiery car crash late Monday night on Route 202, according to authorities.
Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Michael Fitzgerald confirmed that one person died after crashing into a utility pole just after 10:30 p.m. A state police detective and accident-reconstruction officers assisted with the investigation, which is being conducted by Belchertown police, Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald said state police will not be releasing the victim's name; identification of the victim will be left up to Belchertown police, he added. A Belchertown police dispatcher said ranking officers were unavailable for comment this morning.
When emergency officials arrived at the Route 202 crash site about 200 yards north of Allen Road, they found a four-door vehicle on fire and sitting perpendicular to the roadway. The vehicle, which appeared to be either a small SUV or a mid-sized hatchback, apparently burst into flames after hitting one or more utility poles, police said.
A section of Route 202 (Daniel Shays Highway) was closed to traffic after the incident. The road has since reopened to a single lane of traffic as utility crews work to restore electricity to customers affected by the accident. The crash knocked out electricity to about 400 National Grid customers, according to the utility company's website. National Grid estimated power would be restored by about 7 a.m. today.
Authorities have not released the cause of the fatal crash, which remains under investigation.
THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of a fatal car crash in Belchertown:
View Fiery crash on Route 202 in Belchertown in a larger map