CHELMSFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - A suspected drunken driver is facing criminal charges following a three-vehicle crash in Chelmsford that killed a 63-year-old New Hampshire man, police said.
Christopher Thompson, 38, of Nashua, was arrested early Sunday morning after his 2016 Volkswagen Jetta rear-ended a 1996 Toyota Camry on the northbound side of Route 3, state police said. Following the initial crash, the disabled Camry was then hit by a driver in a 2006 Jeep Cherokee that swerved to avoid Thompson’s Jetta.
The Camry driver, whose name has not been released, was taken by ambulance to Lowell General Hospital, where he later died.
Thompson and the driver of the Jeep Cherokee suffered only minor injuries.
After an investigation, Thompson was arrested on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol causing serious bodily injury and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. A bail clerk set bail at $5,000 and he is due to be arraigned next week in Lowell District Court.
The crash is being investigated by members of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and State Police Detective Unit for Essex County.
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