TOPSFIELD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — One person died and another was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a multi-vehicle crash on Route 95 in Topsfield Friday afternoon, officials said.
According to Massachusetts State Police, a 2008 GMC Acadia SUV occupied by two Lynn men was traveling southbound on Route 95 at approximately 4:17 p.m. when it suddenly and rapidly came to a stop. Simultaneously, a 2007 Chevrolet Impala behind the Acadia began to brake and veer to its left towards the grass median in an attempt to avoid hitting the Acadia.
At the same time, state police said, a 2006 Chevrolet Express Van traveling in the leftmost southbound lane began to slow and move to its left in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the Impala. The Express van and the Impala struck, causing the van to leave the roadway, slide across the grass median, and roll over one-and-a-half times.
State police said two of the four occupants inside the Express Van were ejected as it rolled. One of the ejected victims, a passenger identified as Valkisergio Costa Silva, 44, of Centerville, was pronounced dead at the scene. The second ejected victim, a 30-year-old male passenger, was rushed to the hospital with serious life-threatening injures. The van's third passenger was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries, while the van's operator was hospitalized with minor injuries.
The driver of the Impala had no apparent injuries.
Following the crash, the two male occupants of the Acadia pulled over to the breakdown lane and fled on foot into the adjacent woods, prompting a search by State Police Troopers, K9 Unit teams, and the State Police Air Wing helicopter crew.
One of the Acadia occupants, David Guzman, 30, of Lynn, was subsequently found and captured. Guzman was charged with interfering with a police officer.
The second occupant, described as a Hispanic male wearing a gray T-shirt, is still being sought, police said.
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