As the Merrimack Valley prepares for the season’s first snowfall to exceed one inch, travel on area highways, including a portion of Interstate 495 in Haverhill, is being hampered.
As of 11:45 this morning, Interstate 495 north, between exits 49 and 50, River Street and Broadway, remained shut down after a rollover accident which left a tractor trailer truck on its side in a left median embankment. The crash, first reported by emergency responders at 8:12 this morning, resulted in the truck driver being transported to Holy Family Hospital, Haverhill, for observation, according to Massachusetts State Police out of Newbury barracks. Police said the truck went into the left median north of exit 50, rolled onto its side and went down the embankment. Police did not say if that driver received injuries. The accident also involved a passenger vehicle and its driver, the lone occupant, was not injured. Meanwhile northbound traffic on route 495 is being detoured from the highway at exit 49, River Street, through local streets to Broadway and the route 495 northbound on-ramp.
An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing. Despite reports to the contrary, police said there was not any known fuel leak involved.
Other first responders have reported, closer to Newbury barracks, Interstate 95 northbound near the Scotland Road exit was the scene of multi-vehicle spinout which happened shortly before 10 a.m. At least one vehicle was reported rolled over. An earlier rollover, at about 8 a.m., was also reported in the Byfield stretch of I- 95 southbound.
As of noon today, nearly two inches of snowfall was reported. For more information, tune in to Wave Weather, every 30 minutes, on 97.9 WHAV.