Lowell Man Identified as Victim of Fatal Overnight Crash on 495 in Tewksbury

A Thursday night crash on 495 South near exit 38 in Tewksbury which left a Lowell man dead remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police. 

Police responded to reports of a crash between a minivan and a tractor trailer on 495 South shortly after 11 p.m. on Thursday, and reported the driver of the minivan, 44-year-old Lowell resident Daniel C. Filiatrault, sustained fatal injuries.

Tewksbury firefighters extricated Filiatrault from the vehicle, and he was transported to Lowell General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Preliminary investigation indicates the Dodge Caravan minivan was traveling south on Route 495 when the vehicle veered right, went through the breakdown lane, bounced off the guardrail, spun, reentered the travel lanes and was struck by a tractor trailer in the second lane. 

Investigation revealed the tractor trailer stopped in the breakdown lane with the minivan against the front of the truck, according to State Police.

Reasons for the minivan's initial veering to the right remain under investigation, according to State Police.

According to State Police, it was raining heavily at the time of the crash, and the cause of the crash, including why the Caravan driver initially lost control and whether any charges are warranted, remains under investigation.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 53-year-old Brockton man, was not injured. The tractor-trailer is owned by Penske Truck Leasing of Reading, Penn, according to State Police.

Two travel lanes, the breakdown lane, and an exit ramp remained closed for three hours after the crash to facilitate the medical response and crash investigation and cleanup.