Rhode Island Man Killed in 495 Crash

Photo via Massachusetts State Police

A Rhode Island man has died after a crash on I-495 in Hopkinton on Saturday afternoon when a tractor-trailer slammed into an out-of-control car.

Around 1:40 p.m. on Jan. 24, State Police responded to reports of a serious crash with possible injuries on I-495 northbound near Exit 21 in Hopkinton. Police said Makthra Men, 24, from Cranston, was traveling in his 2008 Hyundai in the middle lane when it lost control and hit the left and ride side guardrails. A Freightliner tractor-trailer, driven by a 33-year-old Daniel Matthew from Northborough, was behind Men, and tried to slow down and avoid the car, but collided with it, said police.

Men was transported to UMass Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead as a result of the injuries sustained in the cash. The Northborough man was not injured.

The two left lanes of the highway were closed for hours while investigators reconstructed the accident.

“The loss of life on our roadways continues to be a serious issue,” said District Attorney Marian Ryan in a press release. “For the most recent year on record, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division says that 349 individuals died in motor vehicle crashes. In that same year, more than 108,000 people received injuries in motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts. All drivers need to be reminded that safe driving practices include traveling slower when roads are wet or snow-covered, keeping both hands on the wheel at all times, and placing cell phones, GPS, and other devices out of reach.”

The remaining facts and circumstances of the crash are currently under investigation by troopers from the Millbury Barracks. Troop C Headquarters, State Police Collision Analysis Reconstruction Section (CARS), State Police Crime Scene Services Section (CSSS), Hopkinton Police, Fire and EMS Departments, and Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Mass DOT), all assisted on scene.