Three injured in wreck on Mass. Pike in Charlton; highway backed up for miles

A driver and two passengers in a Honda CRV were injured in a crash that occurred in backed-up traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike Monday.

The highway came to a standstill at midafternoon following two chain-reaction crashes.

About 2:45 p.m., in the eastbound lanes in Charlton, a truck carrying a forklift crashed into the guardrail. Other vehicles, including a tractor-trailer, crashed as they attempted to avoid crashed vehicles.

Moments later, about a mile behind, a truck carrying construction equipment crashed into the stopped Honda, which was pushed into a tractor-trailer, according to state police. Three people from the car — a female driver and two children — were rushed to a hospital. The driver was transported by emergency helicopter.

There were no injuries in the first crash.

The region saw heavy rain at times during the day. As traffic backed up, state police opened emergency access gates to allow for stuck motorists to leave the highway.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Three injured in wreck on Mass. Pike in Charlton; highway backed up for miles