Senior Digital Editor/Producer, WCVB.com
TAUNTON, Mass. —
One person died and another person remains missing after a vehicle crashed into a river in Taunton, Massachusetts, on Monday night, officials said.
Police received a 911 call at 10:15 p.m. reporting that a vehicle was operating at a high rate of speed in the area of North Walker and Winthrop Street in Taunton. The vehicle struck a utility pole and guardrail, left the roadway and entered the Threemile River at 396 Winthrop St.
Police responded to the scene along with the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council Dive Team and State Police detectives assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.
After a water search, investigators found the vehicle, a white Nissan Maxima, in the river with one person inside. The occupant, later identified as Alec Ardita, 24, of Taunton, was pronounced dead.
There was a continued search of the waters in the area of the crash as the investigation revealed a second occupant was likely in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Due to worsening water conditions overnight, dive teams suspended search efforts, which are scheduled to resume Tuesday.