Jaws of Life Used in Crash That Closed Route 1A

A driver had to be cut from their vehicle after a head-on crash on Route 1A in Hamilton Wednesday afternoon that closed the road for nearly a half hour.

One of the drivers in the crash, Neil W. Cole, 75, of Hamilton, has been issued a ticket for marked lanes violation as a result of the crash, according to Hamilton Police Lt. Scott Janes. Both Cole, and the driver of the other vehicle, were injured in the crash, which happened at 1:11 p.m. near the intersection of Bay Road and Orchard Road.

Janes didn’t say the extent of the injuries to either driver, who were both taken to Beverly Hospital by ambulance after the crash. One of the drivers was out and walking arrive when rescuers arrived, while the other was trapped in their vehicle, which had to be cut open by firefighters from the Hamilton and Wenham Fire Departments to free them. One driver has been released from the hospital on Thursday and the other was still being treated, Janes said.

The crash involved an sport utility vehicle and a minivan, Janes said, and neither vehicle had any passengers.

There were few details available on Thursday about what led to the crash and it remains under investigation by Officer Brian Shaw, Janes said.

In a photo provided to Patch by Daria Scofield, it shows a white Cadillac Escalade facing north in the southbound lane and a black Toyota Sienna perpendicular to the travel lane on Route 1A in the minutes after the crash.

Route 1A (Bay Road) was closed for about 20-25 minutes after the crash between Asbury Street and Bridge Street, Janes said, while the crash scene was cleared.