Police identify 2 people killed in weekend Worcester crash
WORCESTER — Two people who died in a crash early Saturday on Grafton Street have been identified by police.
Jason Colon, 35, of Methuen, and Krystal Reyes, 33, of Haverhill, died after the Toyota Highlander they were in overturned in the area of 1015 Grafton St., near Pine Hill Road.
Colon, who was the driver, was pronounced dead at UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus, while Reyes was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police,
Including Colon and Reyes, there were seven occupants in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
In addition to the two fatalities, a third person was seriously injured. The other passengers in the vehicle suffered nonlife-threatening injuries.
Confrontation before crash
According to police, the crash occurred not long after officers were called to the area of 97 Water St. about 12:15 a.m. Saturday. They learned that two men had been walking on the street when they were nearly hit by the Highlander. A confrontation followed.
“One of the pedestrians waved his arms to indicate his displeasure,” police said in a news release. “The driver of the vehicle stopped the car, opened the driver’s side door and pointed a black handgun at the pedestrian who made the gesture. The victim called 911, got into his own vehicle and followed the Toyota.”
After being given the description of the vehicle, police learned it was traveling on Grafton Street. The man who was following the vehicle told the police dispatcher that the vehicle was at Grafton and County streets, according to police.
Police said Colon initially complied when signaled to pull over, but that he soon sped from the traffic stop “at a high rate of speed,” police said.
Vehicle overturned near school
Another officer in the area responded. He "drove past the other officers up Grafton Street, saw taillights several hundred yards in front of him and came across a dark truck that had been in a crash in front of 1015 Grafton St.”
The Highlander overturned in an area near the Roosevelt School.
Police found a black airsoft gun designed to resemble a Glock 19 pistol in the vehicle.
A second vehicle, a Dodge Ram, was struck by the Highlander in the moments before it overturned, according to police.
The crash remains under investigation.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Two people who died in a crash early Saturday on Grafton Street have been identified by police.
