PHILLIPSTON — State Police have identified the Athol woman killed in a head-on crash on Route 2 in Phillipston late Tuesday as 24-year-old Alysha Rentas.
Shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday, troopers from the Athol State Police barracks responded to reports of an accident just west of Exit 79, the result of a wrong-way driver.
Investigators say Rentas, driving a 2014 Chevrolet Sonic, was heading west in the eastbound lane of the highway when she collided head-on with a 2018 Ford Escape driven by 26-year-old Michael Barrett of Westford.
The Ford left the roadway, going over a guardrail and down an embankment before hitting a tree and becoming engulfed in fire. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities say.
The crash occurred in Phillipston in the area of Route 2 where it narrows from a four-lane, divided highway to an undivided highway with a single lane in each direction.
The accident forced the complete closure of the highway until about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.
An investigation into the crash is continuing.
A GoFundMe page has been started to assist Alysha Rentas’ family with expenses at bit.ly/3jtUvsb.