CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WJAR) — Two men died in a rollover crash on Interstate 295 in Cumberland on Thursday afternoon, disrupting the evening commute.
Rhode Island State Police report that the incident occurred when a Hyundai Ionic, driven recklessly by 29-year-old Joel Costa of Hyde Park, Massachusetts, crossed into northbound traffic after losing control in the median. The Hyundai collided head-on with a Dodge Ram 1500 operated by 44-year-old Jonathan Welch of Norton, Massachusetts.
Costa was pronounced dead at the scene, while Welch was transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Neither driver was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, according to authorities.
“The violence of the collision at high speed may have negated any benefit from a seatbelt,” said State Police Uniform Bureau Commander Maj. Erik Yanyar. He noted that cable barriers, designed to absorb impacts, were breached by the Hyundai.
State Police are investigating the crash, with excessive speed and loss of control identified as significant factors. Crash data indicates that cable barriers can reduce cross-median incidents by over 90%, but no safety measure is infallible in high-speed scenarios, according to Jillian Young of AAA Northeast.
More information will be released as the investigation continues.