Police: Two men flee the scene of a fatal crash on I-95 in Topsfield

One passenger is dead, another has life-threatening injuries, according to officials.

Police are searching for two men who fled the scene of a fatal accident on Interstate 95 in Topsfield Friday afternoon, according to officials.

Massachusetts State Police ^[2] responded to the crash involving three vehicles headed southbound, which left one person dead and another with life-threatening injuries.

At around 4:17 p.m., a 2008 GMC Acadia SUV occupied by two Lynn men allegedly “suddenly and rapidly decelerated and came to a stop” around mile marker 71, state police said ^[3] in a statement.

Behind the Acadia was a 2007 Chevrolet Impala operated by a 52-year-old Peabody man who began to brake and veer left toward the grass median in an attempt to avoid hitting the stopped Acadia, according to the statement.

At the same time the Impala veered left, a 2006 Chevrolet Express Van traveling in the leftmost of the four southbound lanes began to slow and move left, but was unsuccessful in avoiding the collision with the Impala, according to officials.

The Impala struck the Express Van causing the van to leave the roadway, slide across the grass median and roll over one-and-a-half times, causing two of its four passengers to be ejected out of the vehicle, state police reported ^[4].

Police identified one of the ejected victims as Valkisergio Costa Silva, 44, of Centerville, who died at the scene. The second ejected victim was a 30-year-old male who suffered serious life-threatening injuries and was transported by Boston MedFlight to Boston Medical Center, according to officials.

Police said the van’s third passenger, a 53-year-old male received serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to an area hospital. The van’s operator, a 32-year-old Yarmouth male, was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries, according to officials.

The operator of the Impala had “no apparent injuries,” police said ^[5].

Aside from the crash of the two vehicles, the Acadia pulled over to the breakdown lane where the two male occupants allegedly fled on foot into the adjacent woods, prompting an extensive search by numerous patrol troopers, state police K9 units, and a state police helicopter, according to the statement.

Police said David Guzman, 30, of Lynn was located and identified as one of the Acadia’s occupants who fled. The second occupant and alleged driver of the Acadia was observed by witnesses “running in the area of the 17th and 18th holes at the Ferncroft Country Club’s golf course,” according to officials.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male who was wearing a gray T-shirt, and is still being sought, police said.

Guzman was charged with interfering with a police officer and booked at the State Police Newbury Barracks, police reported. Guzman posted cash bail and his court appearance is pending.

The crash remains under investigation by the state police and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.

Newsletter Signup

Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com

References

^{^} Local News (www.boston.com)
^{^} Massachusetts State Police (urldefense.com)
^{^} said (urldefense.com)
^{^} reported (urldefense.com)
^{^} said (urldefense.com)