Robert Magee, 28, of West Bridgewater, and Clarence Lux, 84, of New Britain, Conn., were killed in a crash in which Lux was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes.
View full sizeTraffic sits at a standstill on the Mass Turnpike due to a four-car, head-on collision near Ludlow. Two people were killed in the crash.LUDLOW — The victims killed in Friday night's wrong-way, head-on collision on the Massachusetts Turnpike near Exit 6 have been identified as Robert Magee, 28, of West Bridgewater, and Clarence Lux, 84, of New Britain, Conn.
Preliminary investigation by troopers assigned to the Massachusetts State Police Barracks in Charlton on scene indicated that one of the four vehicles involved in the crash was traveling eastbound on the westbound side of the turnpike. The wrong-way driver collided with another vehicle head-on, causing the four-vehicle crash, state police said.
The State Police Barracks in Westfield had received numerous calls for a wrong way operator prior to the fatal crash. Patrols were dispatched but were unable to locate the reported vehicle, state police said.
State police on Saturday identified the operator driving the wrong way as Lux, and said he collided with a car being driven by Magee. Two other cars were unable to stop and collided with the initial pile-up.
State police said there were no injuries reported from anyone occupying the other two vehicles involved in the crash, and neither one was towed. State police are not releasing the identities of the drivers of those vehicles.
The accident happened near Exit 6 near the Ludlow-Springfield line. Traffic was diverted at Exit 7 for more than two hours as police shut down all westbound travel lanes as they cleared the scene. There were reports of backed up cars sitting at a standstill on the highway.
State police said the Ludlow Fire Department removed the victims from the vehicles and Ludlow EMS transported them to Baystate Medical Center in critical condition. The two victims who collided head-on succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced dead at the hospital.
The facts and circumstances of the crash remain under investigation by Troop E of the Massachusetts State Police with the assistance of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section. The Ludlow Fire Department, Ludlow EMS, and Mass DOT also assisted at the scene, state police said.