Haverhill Man Dies in Route 128 Crash

State Police say a Haverhill man who was seriously injured after he was involved in a three-car crash on Route 128 North just before 7 a.m on Wednesday succumbed to his injuries and died later that afternoon at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Wallace Arnott, 56, of Haverhill was pronounced dead sometime after noon after he was transported there following the crash that also seriously injured Kenneth Weeden, 52, of Peabody, according to State Police.

Trooper Stevie G. Browning's preliminary investigation on Wednesday showed there were a series of rear-end crashes and Arnott was operating a 2005 Chevrolet AVEO hatchback. Browning said he was  transported by ambulance to Salem Hospital, and then flown by medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital. 

State Police the second vehicle involved was a 1996 Cherokee operated by Weeden, who was transported to Salem Hospital with serious injuries. The third vehicle was a 2002 Chevrolet Venture, operated by Rita Tavarez, 42, of Chelsea, who was not injured, according to State Police, who did not release the names of the two injured men.

"The investigation into the facts and circumstances of the crashes, including the exact sequence of events, remains ongoing by Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police, with the assistance of the State Police Collision Analysis Reconstruction Section and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section. Also assisting at the scene was the Peabody Fire Department and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

The accident caused traffic on the northbound side of Route 128 to be backed up for three miles and traffic on the soundbound side to be tied up for two miles after a two-car crash occurred nearly across from the three-car crash, according to State Police. There were no injuries reported in that two-car accident and all lanes were clear on both sides of the highway by 10:30 a.m., according to State Police.

Peabody Deputy Fire Chief Richard Nelson said a State Police Trooper and a good samaritan actually pulled the Haverhill man out of his vehicle and administered CPR before the first city firefighters and EMTs arrived.

Nelson said Engine 3, Ladder 1 and Engine 5 along with nine city firefighters responded to the scene along with two Atlantic Ambulances. As of 8:30 a.m., traffic was still backed up on the northbound side as State Police continue their accident reconstruction investigation.