State Police Looking for Vehicle Possibly Involved in Fatal Accident

The Massachusetts State Police is seeking the public’s help in locating a vehicle that may have been involved in yesterday’s fatal crash on Rte. 1 in Saugus before fleeing the scene. The accident claimed the life of John R. Thebeau Jr., 62, of Wilmington.

Police are looking for a silver or gray Honda CRV sport utility vehicle, specifically, an older model with a spare tire compartment attached to the rear hatch door. Officials say this vehicle may not necessarily have any damage. Immediately following the crash, this vehicle may have entered the Taco Bell parking lot adjacent to the crash scene, before re-entering the highway and driving away.

Anyone with information about a vehicle matching that description that may have been in Saugus yesterday shortly after 2 p.m. is urged to call State Police Trooper Michael Tulipano at 978-778-8132.

Preliminary investigation suggests this vehicle may have triggered a sequence of events that led to the fatal crash shortly after 2 p.m. Specifically, the Honda CRV may have caused a commercial vehicle, which was travelling southbound in the right lane, to swerve to its left. When that commercial vehicle swerved to its left, it impacted a paving dump truck travelling southbound in the middle lane. As a result of that impact, the paving dump truck spun out of control, rolled toward its passenger side, and hit the steel ribbon guardrail before coming to rest on its wheels perpendicular across the highway.

The driver of the paving truck was determined to be deceased at the scene. He is identified as John R. Thebeau Jr., 62, of Wilmington. The driver of the commercial vehicle was not injured.

Troopers responded to the crash scene on Rte. 1 southbound, between the Walnut Street and Lynn Fells Parkway exits, after State Police received multiple 911 calls from other motorists at 2:08 p.m. The crash investigation is being conducted by Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police with the assistance of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and the State Police Detective Unit for Essex County.

Wilmington Patch will bring you more information as it becomes available.

Credit: Mass. State Police; WHDH, 7-News