Placanico, injured Thursday night, was pronounced dead at Baystate Sunday night.
WARE - A 55-year-old Palmer man, seriously injured Thursday night when his motorcycle collided with a horse trailer that jack-knifed into his path of travel on Route 9, has died at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.
A hospital spokesman, speaking late Monday morning, confirmed the death of Joseph Placanico, of 131 Breckinridge St. Family members said that Placanico was pronounced dead at Baystate Sunday night.
Police Officer Alan C. Kusek said the accident occurred shortly before 5:45 p.m. as Placanico, of 131 Breckinridge St., drove his 2001 Harley Davidson east on Route 9, also known as Belchertown Road.
When a westbound pickup truck, hauling an empty horse trailer, slowed and stopped to allow a third vehicle, also westbound to turn left into an entrance to Quabbin Reservoir, the trailer jack-knifed into the eastbound lane and into Placanico’s path.
Placanico was taken to Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware and then taken by Lifestar helicopter to Baystate in Springfield.
Kusek said the driver of the pickup was Michael P. Austin, 34, of 270 West St., Belchertown.
Kusek, speaking Friday, said no citations had been issued in the accident. Investigators could not be immediately reached for comment Monday.
The crash marked the region’s second motorcycle facility within a week’s time.
Abimael Mestre, 28, of Ludlow, was fatally injured in Granby on the morning of April 11 when he lost control of his motorcycle while riding east on New Ludlow Road. Investigators said that Mestre went off the road and hit a utility pole.
Timothy J. Woering, 26, of Easthampton, was seriously injured on Route 10 later that afternoon in a crash on Route 10 of that city.
Woering, who has since been discharged from Baystate, was riding north when he entered the southbound lane to pass a line of traffic that had stopped to allow a sports utility vehicle to pull out into traffic, police said.