Officer Harry Sienkiewicz, of the Westfield police department’s accident reconstruction team, examines one of the motorcycles that was involved in a fatal accident last night near Gate 29 at Barnes Regional Airport. The accident took place on an unimproved road between East Mountain Country Club and the airport. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – A second fatal crash this weekend claimed the life of a Holyoke man yesterday afternoon in a wooded area near East Mountain Road.
A single vehicle crash on Shaker Road left Matt Osienski of Westfield dead Saturday and on Sunday Carlos Colon, 22, of Holyoke died while riding a motorcycle with others in a wooded area which abuts East Mountain Country Club.
Lt. Jerome Pitoniak, the commander of the Westfield Police Department’s Traffic & Safety Bureau, said this morning that “at least seven” motocross style ‘dirt bikes’ were operating at the area at the time of the crash, which was reported at 5:47 p.m.
“I still don’t know how they hit”, Pitoniak said and explained that two motorcycles were coming down a hill as another approached from the other direction. He said that one of the operators “got out of the way” of the approaching dirt bike but, for an unknown reason, the other struck the approaching motorcycle.
“For whatever reason, those two didn’t see each other so they basically hit each other head on,” Pitoniak said.
Colon was transported to Noble Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The other victim of the crash, Luis Gonzalez, also 22 of Holyoke, was transported to Baystate Medical Center.
Pitoniak said that one of his officers, Harry Sienkiewicz, checked with the hospital yesterday and learned that Gonzalez had suffered broken bones and surgery for internal injuries was planned.
A hospital spokesman said this morning that Gonzalez is currently listed in critical condition.
No further information was available from the hospital prior to press time.
Pitoniak said that an access road allows for a direct approach to the area of the sand pits, so emergency personal were not delayed when they responded to the call.
He said that officers David Arroyo and Gary Hagar were the first to arrive at the crash scene, where they found an East Mountain Country Club employee performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Colon.
The officers took over the CPR until the ambulance arrived moments later.
The crash remains under investigation by Westfield police with assistance from the State Environmental Police.
