Methuen man, 51, dies in I-93 motorcycle crash

Bill Kirk, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass.
·2 min read

Apr. 28—WILMINGTON — A 51-year-old Methuen man died Wednesday morning after the motorcycle he was operating crashed head-on into a minivan facing the wrong direction on Interstate 93 North, just north of Exit 38.

According to a statement from State Police, at approximately 1:12 a.m. Massachusetts State Troopers from the Andover and Medford Barracks, along with Wilmington police and fire, responded to a crash in Wilmington involving a minivan and a motorcycle, driven by Diego D. Rodriguez, 51, of Methuen.

The preliminary investigation indicates that a 2005 Toyota Sienna minivan was traveling north on I-93 when, for reasons still under investigation, it rotated and came to a stop in the second lane from left, according to the statement.

The minivan, operated by a 44-year-old Lynn man who police did not identify, came to rest facing southbound in the northbound lane. At the same time, a 2010 Harley Davidson FLH Street Glide was being operated northbound, in the second lane from the left, approaching the Sienna.

Police said the motorcycle operator, Rodriguez, attempted to stop but was unable to do so. The motorcycle struck the front left of the Sienna, fatally injuring Rodriguez, according to the statement. Police say Rodriguez died at the scene. The operator of the Sienna was not injured, according to the statement.

The facts and circumstances of the crash, including why the Sienna came to a sudden stop and ended up facing the wrong direction, remain under investigation by Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police, the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section.

The results of that investigation will determine whether charges are warranted.

All four lanes of I-93 North were closed until 3:38 a.m. to accommodate the rescue response and crash investigation, according to the statement.