Pedestrian With Life-Threatening Injuries After Tewksbury I-495 Crash

TEWKSBURY, MA — A 52-year-old Methuen man suffered life-threatening injuries when he was struck by a vehicle while running across Route 495 in Tewksbury on Wednesday night, the Massachusetts State Police-Andover Barracks reported.

The man's identity has not been revealed publicly, but the MSP said he was transported to a local hospital.

A 21-year-old Lawrence woman, who was driving alone in the vehicle that struck the victim, also was transported to an area hospital for evaluation, police said. The woman's identity has not been made public.

According to police reports, at approximately 7:20 p.m. Wednesday, MSP officers and specialized units were called to a stretch of Interstate 495 in Tewksbury, near the Andover town line, after reports of a collision involving a 2006 Toyota Corolla and a pedestrian.

A preliminary investigation by the MSP Collision Analysis Reconstruction Section revealed that the crash occurred as the Toyota was traveling northbound on I-495 in the far left lane, approaching the Route 133 on-ramp, police said.

A short distance from the ramp, the pedestrian reportedly emerged from a wooded area adjacent to the highway and ran across I-495 from east to west, according to the MSP.

Authorities said the Toyota, which was traveling at a high rate of speed, struck the pedestrian in the left travel lane. The vehicle then veered into a grassy median.

The MSP said it continues to investigate the facts and circumstances of the crash, including why the pedestrian entered the highway. State Police-Andover is being assisted in the investigation by the MSP Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and the MSP Crime Scene Services Section, according to police.