STONEHAM — A Lawrence man is accused of driving drunk and smashing into a state police cruiser and tow truck that responded to an earlier fatal accident on Interstate 93 yesterday morning.
Albert Vasquez, 29, was arrested and charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol after the 3:30 a.m. crash on Route 93 south in Stoneham, state police said.
A 2005 Volkswagen Beetle crashed into the rear of a box truck parked in the breakdown lane with its emergency flashers on.
Troopers said the Beetle was traveling southbound when, for reasons still under investigation, the car drifted into the breakdown lane and into the rear of the truck, trapping both the driver and a passenger, state police said.
The Volkswagen driver, an adult woman, was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers last night were still working to confirm her identity. Her passenger, who was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, was not identified by police last night.
Crash debris was spewed over the two right lanes and the breakdown lane after the accident and police shut down those lanes of travel. An empty marked cruiser was parked in the second travel lane from the right, with all its emergency lights activated. A tow truck was also parked nearby and all emergency vehciles were parked in a coned off area, police said.
"Nonetheless, a passing Toyota Camry operated by (Vasquez) veered into the emergency set-up and struck the tow truck and then the cruiser," according to a state police report.
Vasquez was taken to the Medford state police barracks for booking. His passenger, a Brookline woman, 27, was taken to Lahey Clinic in Burlington.
Both accidents remained under investigation. The highway was cleared at 6 a.m., state police said.
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