Massachusetts State Police

Tractor-Trailer Driver to Face Charges in Fatal Crash on Mass. Pike

The driver of a car hit by the truck, a 69-year-old man from Ludlow, was pronounced dead at a local hospital

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A man was killed in a multi-vehicle crash involving a tractor-trailer truck on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Becket, Mass., on Friday, authorities say, and a passenger sustained serious injuries.

The driver of the truck, a 67-year-old man from West Granby, Conn., is expected to be charged, according to Massachusetts State Police.

The accident occurred around 3 p.m. Friday afternoon on the eastbound side of the Mass. Turnpike, near mile marker 15. An early investigation from state police indicates that the tractor-trailer struck the back of a Toyota Camry as traffic slowed, which then in turn was thrust into a Toyota Sienna van.

The driver of the Camry, identified by state police as Gary Litwin, 69, of Ludlow, was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The only other passenger, a 66-year-old woman from Ludlow, was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

The van driver, a 39-year-old West Springfield woman, was also brought to the hospital. Her condition was not detailed by authorities.

The tractor-trailer operator was not injured, state police say. His name and the specific charges will be released on Monday by the District Attorney’s Office.

Rescue crews and investigators required lane closures at various times until 8:40 p.m. Friday night. 

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