WHATELY — Authorities say the driver involved in a rollover crash that resulted in a vehicle fire on Interstate 91 and prompted the temporary closure of the northbound highway on Thursday afternoon died at the scene.
Troopers responded to the single-vehicle crash at 3:20 p.m. near the 32.6 mile-marker on Interstate 91 northbound, according to State Police Trooper Brandon Doherty.
An initial investigation indicates that the driver, believed to be an 18-year-old man, was driving north when his vehicle veered off the highway, entered the median and struck a concrete bridge pillar, according to Northwestern District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Melissa Sippel. The vehicle then caught fire and became fully engulfed in flames.
Whately and South Deerfield firefighters were requested along with South County EMS.
The driver was pronounced dead at the crash site. There were no passengers in the vehicle, according to the DA’s office.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death and confirm the deceased individual’s identity. The crash remains under investigation by the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the DA’s office, as well as the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, and the Crime Scene Services Section.
Additionally, a separate crash involving three vehicles occurred nearby at the 29 mile-marker of Interstate 91 northbound in Hatfield at around 4 p.m., according to State Police Media Relations Director Greg Turner.
