A “traumatic” crash between a car and motorcycle Tuesday morning near the intersection of Routes 18 and 139 was witnessed by dozens of bystanders, several of whom tried to unsuccessfully help the fatally injured rider.
It was one of two serious back-to- back accidents that occurred Tuesday morning less than half a mile apart. Down the road on 139, a vehicle ended up on its roof next to The Cellar following a collision. That crash yielded no serious injuries.
Abington Fire Chief John Glynn said the department received multiple 911 calls around 9:36 a.m. Tuesday reporting that a car had collided with a motorcycle just north of the busy intersection of Routes 18 and 139. Glynn said by the time Abington Fire got to the scene, which is located just a couple hundred yards south of Station 1, there was a crowd of between 50-100 on the scene, including other drivers, nearby workers, and town employees who witnessed the accident. Several people tried to provide aid until paramedics arrived.
The injured rider was rushed to South Shore Hospital but later died.
Glynn said he could not comment on the nature of the injuries. He said the man’s motorcycle was found about 50 feet away from him.
The man was later identified as Michael Welsh, a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Army., and member of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association (CVMA 2-2). He was 49.
No further details on the circumstances of the fatal accident were immediately available from state or local law enforcement.
The busy intersection was closed for more than two hours while a Mass. State Police accident reconstruction team took photos and spoke with witnesses.
On Wednesday, Glynn published a note on the Fire Department’s Facebook page consoling those who saw the “traumatic” accident. He encouraged those to keep photos and recollections off social media out of respect to the family.
“Yesterday serves as a painful reminder that life can change in an [instant] and that today is a gift,” he wrote. “Let’s take the reminder and look out for each other a little more. Kindness is something we can never get enough of.”
Then at 10:17 a.m., 911 calls started coming in about an accident at the intersection of North Avenue (Route 139) and Railroad Street.
Del Papa said a vehicle heading south along Railroad Street blew through a stop sign, crashed into a car traveling east on North Avenue, and flipped over coming to a stop nearly against the exterior canopy of The Cellar.
Glynn said by the time emergency responders arrived, the driver of the overturned vehicle had pulled himself out. The driver was brought to South Shore Hospital with minor injuries.
Del Papa said because he was being transported to the hospital, the driver wasn’t available to be interviewed at the scene. However, he expects the driver will be cited for failing to yield at a stop sign.
Abington Fire Department also posted Tuesday that it had responded to multiple car accidents in recent days involving motorcycles and urged drivers and motorcyclists to “use caution on the roadways while operating. With the summer months in full effect, we often see an increase in these types of incidents specifically.”