NEW SALEM — A 26-year-old Athol man was killed in a single-vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 5 a.m. on Friday.
Melissa Sippel, spokesperson for the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, said in a statement that first responders were called to the area of 100 Blackinton Road after receiving reports of a crash.
“A preliminary investigation indicates that a Dodge truck was traveling southbound on Blackinton Road when it crossed the roadway into the northbound lane, exited the roadway and struck a telephone pole,” the statement reads. “It does not appear that any other vehicles were involved in the crash.”
According to Sippel, the driver, a 26-year-old man from Athol, was the vehicle’s sole occupant and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.
The crash remains under investigation by the DA’s office, the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section and the Orange Police Department.