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A serious crash on a highway in Middlesex County caused three people to suffer serious injuries and resulted in temporary road closures and traffic backups as authorities conducted an investigation.
The incident happened on Wednesday morning, Oct. 4, around 9:50 a.m., when a 2022 Volkswagen Taos sport utility vehicle traveling southbound on Interstate 495 near the Chelmsford rest area crossed the median into the northbound lanes and struck a 2006 BMW sedan, state police announced.
The driver of the BMW, a 75-year-old Ayer man, was seriously injured and became trapped in his car as a result of the crash. After firefighters cut off the car's roof to free him, he was then taken to Lahey Hospital in Burlington by helicopter, police said.
The passenger in the BMW, a 75-year-old Ayer woman, and the driver of the Volkswagon, a 65-year-old Newburyport woman, were also both taken to a hospital by ambulance.
As a result of the incident, I-495 North and a southbound left lane were temporarily closed in the area of the rest stop to facilitate crash reconstruction efforts, and have since reopened, police announced.
The closures resulted in southbound traffic being backed up as far as Exit 79 (Route 2A) in Littleton, and northbound traffic being backed up to Exit 91 (Woburn Street) in Lowell.
The crash is now under investigation by the State Police-Concord Barracks, State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, and State Police Crime Scene Services Section. The reason the Volkswagon crossed the median is still unknown, according to authorities.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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