March 2, 2010 – Norword, Mass. – A Westwood High student was killed and two teen passengers were injured when the victim’s SUV slammed into a utility pole Saturday night in Norwood, Mass.
WickedLocal reports that Paul Hanley, 17, died at the scene of a single-vehicle accident that occurred just after 12:15 a.m. on Winter Street. Authorities said Paul Hanley was driving his 2005 Jeep Cherokee with his friends, Robert Foxx, 19, and Joel Priestly, 17, when he apparently lost control of the vehicle. The Jeep struck a utility pole and then a stone wall.
Joel Priestly was found standing outside the Jeep when rescue crews arrived on the scene, but both Paul Hanley and Robert Foxx had to be removed using the Jaws of Life. Priestly and Foxx were transported to the hospital for the treatment of personal injuries. Priestly was released from the hospital, while Foxx remains in stable condition.
The single-car accident remains under investigation, but it has been reported that the roads were icy at the time of the crash, which may have contributed to the crash.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2008 Massachusetts Crash Statistics, there were 363 fatalities as a result of car accidents in Massachusetts.
