Two Men Killed by Alleged Drunk Driver on I-93

A Malden man and his friend were killed, and a third passenger seriously injured, after an Acura struck their Chevy Blazer on I-93 in Andover on Saturday, according to police. The driver of the Acura, Shayna Fernandez, 21, of Lawrence, was arrested by state police and charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

Joseph A. Coppola, 57, of Malden died of his injuries after being brought to the hospital following the crash, according to police. The driver of the Blazer, Francis A. O’Hanley Jr., was pronounced dead upon arrival at Lawrence General Hospital. Ambulances also brought Timothy O’Hanley to Lawrence General Hospital following the 6:55 a.m. accident.

Police arrested and charged Fernandez following the accident. She will be arraigned Monday morning at Lawrence District Court. Fernandez was not injured in the crash. Fernandez will face additional charges due to the deaths of Coppola and Francis O’Hanley, and the injuries sustained by Timothy O’Hanley, according to a statement released by the State Police.
According to police, Fernandez was driving her 2002 Acura at a high rate of speed on I-93 northbound when she hit the Blazer, occupied by the three men. After hitting the SUV, police believe she swerved onto the median and then back into the northbound lanes, hitting the Blazer again.

“After the second impact, the Blazer rolled over and came to rest in the median,” read a State Police statement on the accident.

The State Police are still investigating the matter and are not releasing any more information.

I-93 northbound was shut down during the investigation, and traffic was redirected onto Route 495 for about an hour.

"The facts and circumstances of the crash remain under investigation by Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police with the assistance of the State Police Crash Analysis Reconstruction Section and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section," read the statement.