Fatal Wrong-Way Pursuit
Connecticut Man Dies in Millbury Wrong-Way Crash After Fleeing State Police Pursuit
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State police said the driver initially pulled over when troopers tried to stop him on I-90 West, but allegedly fled when a state trooper approached the car (authorities later issued a BOLO).
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Beyond general “multiple agencies,” reporting specified the response included the Worcester County State Police Detective Unit, Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, and Crime Scene Services, alongside Millbury Fire and EMS and troopers from the Millbury barracks.
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Massachusetts State Police did not release the wrong-way driver’s name; officials confirmed only that he was a Connecticut man in his 20s.
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The state’s wrong-way prevention efforts described by Gov. Maura Healey included “advanced detection technology,” “enhanced road signage,” “infrastructure improvements” and “safety upgrades,” and Healey said Massachusetts would have one of the strongest wrong-way detection and prevention programs in the nation—an effort announced after the death of Massachusetts State Police Trooper Kevin Trainor.
A Connecticut man in his 20s was killed early Saturday after he fled a state trooper on the Massachusetts Turnpike and drove the wrong way on Route 146 in Millbury, crashing head-on into another car, MassLive reported. The other driver, a 48-year-old man from Worcester, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The crash happened around 12:43 a.m. between the on- and off-ramps at Exit 17, WFSB reported. All lanes on Route 146 were closed for hours during the investigation and did not reopen until about 4:30 a.m.
Driver Fled Trooper, Then Entered Highway the Wrong Way
State police tried to stop the driver on I-90 West shortly before midnight. He initially pulled over, but fled when a trooper approached the car, Telegram.com reported. Police issued a BOLO — a "Be On the Lookout" alert — for the suspect vehicle.
Troopers from the Millbury barracks spotted the car on Route 146. The driver was heading south in the northbound lanes. Officers deployed stop sticks — devices designed to puncture tires and slow a vehicle — but the car still slammed head-on into the Worcester man's sedan before the sticks could stop it, according to Yahoo News.
Multiple Units Spent Hours Reconstructing the Fatal Crash
The response drew several specialized units from Massachusetts State Police. The Worcester County State Police Detective Unit, the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, and Crime Scene Services all responded to the scene, MassLive reported. Millbury Fire and EMS also assisted.
Investigators worked through the night to piece together what happened. Traffic was diverted away from the crash site the entire time. All lanes finally reopened around 4:30 a.m. State police have not released the driver's name, saying only that he was a man from Connecticut in his 20s.
Trooper Trainor's Death Sparked a $75 Million Safety Push
The Millbury crash comes weeks after Massachusetts State Police Trooper Kevin Trainor, 30, was killed by a wrong-way driver on Route 1 in Lynnfield in May 2026. His death pushed the Healey administration to fast-track a major highway safety overhaul, according to WFSB.
Gov. Maura Healey announced a statewide wrong-way driving prevention program after Trainor's death. She said Massachusetts would have "one of the strongest wrong-way detection and prevention programs in the nation." The plan targets more than 430 high-risk locations with advanced detection technology, enhanced road signage, and infrastructure upgrades — backed by up to $75 million in funding, WFSB reported.
Pilot Program Caught Nearly 300 Wrong-Way Drivers Before Expansion
Before the $75 million statewide rollout, Massachusetts ran a smaller pilot program at just 16 high-risk ramps. That program detected 294 wrong-way drivers. MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver noted that the new detection systems had already successfully warned a wrong-way driver in Danvers just days before the Millbury crash.
Between 2018 and 2025, 135 people died in wrong-way crashes in Massachusetts. Officials say the technology — including thermal cameras and LED warning signs — is designed to catch drivers before they reach dangerous stretches like the exit-adjacent segment of Route 146 where Saturday's crash occurred. Healey said: "We sadly cannot change the past. But we can do what is necessary to ensure that tragedies like this don't happen again."
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