State police said they are still attempting to determine the source of the erroneous information.
SPRINGFIELD – A 31-year-old Springfield man, who was erroneously reported by state police as having died from injuries sustained in a Monday night motorcycle crash on Interstate 91, is in critical condition at Baystate Medical Center, a spokesman confirmed Thursday.
Wilfredo N. Melendez has been in Baystate’s intensive care unit since the accident, which occurred about 8 p.m. as Melendez rode north on Interstate 91.
State police, in a release issued early Thursday afternoon, said “the inaccurate release (sent out Wednesday night) resulted from a miscommunication, the source of which has not yet been determined and is still under review.”
The release goes on to state: “The Massachusetts State Police apologize for the inaccurate release, and especially extend our deepest apologies to the family and friends of Mr. Melendez. Our thoughts are with his family in this most difficult time.”
Police said Melendez lost control of his 2001 Honda CBR600 and struck the center guardrail.
He was thrown from the motorcycle, landing in the left travel lane while the bike skidded for several hundred feet before stopping. The accident remains under investigation.