DARTMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — During rush hour on Monday morning, a small aircraft tragically crashed into a prominent highway in Massachusetts, resulting in the death of both individuals on board, with fiery debris scattered over the interstate.
Remarkably, no drivers on Interstate 195 faced serious injuries, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell announced on Facebook. A woman, whose vehicle was impacted, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, as reported by state police. Further specifics were not disclosed by officials.
Witnesses traveling by captured videos showing thick black smoke rising from the plane’s fuselage, which had come to rest on its side. Additional wreckage was dispersed over a nearby grassy median and into the adjacent woods.
As per the state Department of Transportation, the highway was shut down in both directions close to where the incident occurred in Dartmouth, located approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Boston. It was partially reopened later on Monday afternoon.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III confirmed that the deceased individuals were declared dead at the location. He identified them as 68-year-old Thomas Perkins and his 66-year-old wife Agatha from Middletown, Rhode Island.
A nor’easter was whipping the area with rain and winds from 30 to 40 mph (48 to 64 kph) at the time of the crash, the National Weather Service said.
The Massachusetts State Police indicated the aircraft might have been trying to land at New Bedford Regional Airport. It was noted that the pilot didn’t seem to have filed a flight plan with the airport.
The National Transportation Safety Board said a Socata TBM-700 had departed from the New Bedford airport, and that the agency was investigating the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration said in an email that it could not respond to media inquiries due to the government shutdown.
Mitchell, the mayor, extended his condolences to the loved ones of those lost in the crash, and said he was “grateful that the crash miraculously did not result in serious injuries to motorists.”
