DEDHAM, Maine — Why a Massachusetts man crashed head-on into a pickup truck on U.S. Route 1A a month ago may never be known, Maine State Police Sgt. Alden Bustard said Wednesday of the fatal crash.
“I think our investigation has gone as far as it can go,” the sergeant said. “We haven’t been able to determine what caused him to cross the centerline.”
Dallas Whatley, 39, of Taunton, Mass., was killed in the Dec. 20 collision when his car crossed the centerline of Route 1A near the Dedham Town Office and hit the pickup. He was visiting friends in the area and was driving a 2004 Infiniti north at around 9:40 a.m. when he struck a 2006 Chevrolet pickup driven by James Sullivan of Sorrento. Whatley died at the scene and Sorrento suffered a leg injury.
The investigation, which is mostly complete but pending toxicology test results, has determined that Whatley was not using his cellphone to send or receive text messages during the fatal crash, Bustard said.
“We don’t have any reason to believe that he was [texting],” the sergeant said. “We don’t have any reason to believe that alcohol was involved.”
Once the toxicology tests return, likely in the next few weeks, the crash investigation will be closed, Bustard said.
I notice in my area a lot of people tend to drive in the middle of the road whenever the lane markings are invisible. Maybe that explains all these recent head on crashes.
I’ve noticed a lot of people in MY area driving on the left hand side of the road, lane markings or not. The middle would be an improvement. I think that people in trucks are getting increasingly paranoid that they can’t see what’s on the “other” side of the truck from themselves, and over-estimate how much room they need over there. This would also explain why people in pickups sometimes pull way over to the left to make a right-hand turn. You don’t have a trailer, it’s not a semi, you have the same wheelbase as a sedan, there’s no need for that.
My first theory based on the variables in the story is fatigue especially he if had driven up to Maine from Taunton area during the past 24 hours. I have driven to the Taunton area and back many times and there is a jet lag type of fatigue that stays with you for a day or two after you made the trip.
Also, many roadways in our state are winding and one has to keep adjusting thier vehicle to avoid driving in the center of the roadway, unlike the densely populated areas roadways of the Taunton area. Yes, there are winding roadways in the Taunton area but they are relatively short compared to up here. So there is a driving mindset one has to adjust between the two areas.
So my first theory/first guess is a fatigue factor. Second, getting use to Maine roads. Or a combination of the two variables.
Incidentally, i have driven close to 25 times around the world, i have never been in a crash. Never had a speeding ticket.
I bet it was the combination of speeding and not being familiar with the roads.
he was VERY familiar with the road in that area. he was less than 2 miles from picking up his girlfriend, he didn’t drive up from mass that day. he had been here the whole week. . . honestly he had a very small attention span. i’m guessing he just wasn’t paying attention… the sad thing is his 14 year old son no longer has his father.
Circling the Green in Taunton is a bugger, and 44 out through Raynham is a lesson in patience.
I live one town over and avoid it as best I can. He may have let his guard down thinking it was an easy drive on Maine’s roads. I tend to get a little relaxed when I travel up to the County.
Just a thought…..
Circling the Green is easy. Plus there is always a cop at the circle watching. Route 44 by the road to the high school can be a task,the inexperienced high school drivers are always coming over the bridge and running the red light.
The relax aspect may be right. Also, now that i think of it, the road markings in Maine such as the median strip tend to be faded.
Thanx. If the Green is easy now, you can thank the Silver City Galleria and all the other shopping on 140s for emptying it out. I haven’t been in downtown for at least ten years to see how many empty store fronts there are compered to 25 years ago when there were none. If you say it’s easy now, maybe I can use that shortcut again! :)
I drive this route many times a week. I passed through there not long before the incident. The accident occured in a area where it changes from 55 to 45, and going into a school zone. Traffic is often moving in excess of 70 mph here. The road is straight leading up to the scene of the crash, and then bends right and sort of ‘disappears’ as the elevation drops. The roads were clear and dry that morning. I believe the victim most likely was traveling too fast, may have been distracted for just a moment and drifted over the center line into the other lane, and when suddenly confronted with an oncomming vehicle, swerved futher to the left, where the two vehicles impacted at the guardrail. My condolences to all involved in this tragedy. Rt. 1a through Dedham has it’s twists and turns, but most accidents happen there because of the way people drive through that area. In this case, I believe this was simply a tragic accident that could happen to anyone.