MASHPEE, MASS. (WHDH) - A 17-year-old boy died and six other teenagers were hurt in a serious crash in Mashpee Tuesday morning, police said.
At around 2:06 a.m., officers responded to a report of a car crashing into a tree on Carlton Drive just south of Swain Circle, according to the Mashpee Police Department.
Investigators determined that a Toyota Rav 4 was traveling northbound when the driver lost control of the car, leaving the roadway and striking a tree, police said. Seven passengers between the ages of 15 and 17 were in the car, according to police.
Six were taken to area hospitals, and two of them appeared to have life-threatening injuries, police said. A 17-year-old boy from Mashpee, who was transported from the scene, later died from his injuries.
The car crashed into a tree in Charlie Dedecko’s yard.
“I heard this bang and right away I knew somebody hit a tree,” Dedecko said. “The car, when it hit, it hit on the passenger side and it hit so hard it spun the car around.”
Bob Lemmon, who lives near the crash scene, said Carlton Drive is a common cut-through.
“At nighttime, there’s no lights and it’s dark,” Lemmon said.
While the investigation into the crash continued, Mashpee Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Hope Hanscom addressed the incident in a message to families.
“It is with profound sadness that I share the news that there was a serious car accident in Mashpee early this morning, involving several Mashpee Middle-High School students,” she said.
Hanscom said the district’s counseling team would be available in the Mashpee Middle-High School library until 3 p.m.
She said school officials were also working with Riverside Trauma Center, a local nonprofit, “to put additional supports in place in the near future.”
“We will share more information as it becomes available, but I know you join us in keeping all those involved and our Mashpee community in your thoughts and prayers,” Hanscom said.
John Fawcett, who lives near the crash scene, was devastated to hear of the death.
“Oh,” he said, his voice breaking. “Thank God mine are grown.”
As word spread about the fatal crash, people who knew the boy who died paid their respects, laying flowers near the tree.
“He was funny, a jokester, always happy, always smiling, overall all out there. He was a member of the football team,” said Aiden Chisholm, the boy’s classmate. “Great, great guy.”
Frances Delgado worked with the boy at a nearby assisted living facility.
“They all loved the kid. He was the nicest kid you’d ever want to meet,” Delgado said.
Dedecko expressed his sadness about the crash in his front yard. Not only do his windows look out on the tree, but he said he lost his own son in a similar car crash years ago.
“You never get over it, but you learn to live with it,” Dedecko said, choking back tears.
This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)