Tiverton Teen Skirts Death after Crashing into Sign

TIVERTON, RI—An 18-year-old Tiverton man is lucky to be alive after he drove into a construction sign warning of an upcoming lane closure on Route 495 in Wrentham, MA that broke through his windshield and struck him in the head.

The unidentified driver suffered a head laceration and was transported to Rhode Island Hospital by members of Wrentham Fire and EMS, according to a Massachusetts State Police news release.

The crash happened at around 7:45 p.m. when the driver took his attention off the road, police said.

"The investigation indicates the driver was not paying attention to the traffic in front of him because of the construction project," police said. "When the driver finally realized that traffic was stopped in front of him because of the lane merge, he tried to stop in time, but in doing so, he lost control, veered off the road to the left and struck the sign."

Police said the incident serves as a reminder to always pay attention of the road up ahead and be aware of traffic in all directions. This is why it's wise to slow down when approaching construction zones, police said.