WESTFIELD – Six people were transported to area hospitals Saturday evening after a head-on collision which involved three vehicles on Southwick Road.
The crash was reported at 5:14 p.m. Saturday and two officers immediately responded, as did two ambulances, a fire engine and, since the initial report suggested that occupants might be trapped inside one of the vehicles, the heavy rescue truck also responded.
Fire Captain Rebecca Boutin was in command at the scene and quickly requested a third ambulance, as all six persons who had been in the three vehicles required medical attention.
Within minutes, Boutin requested a fourth city ambulance but found that extraordinary measures were not needed to remove any of the occupants from any of the vehicles. A fifth ambulance was requested from the Southwick Fire Department but it was not needed and the request was cancelled before it arrived.
Officer Kyle Racicot reports that his investigation showed that a southbound vehicle, operated by Theresa Cranouski of 14 Granville Road, Southwick, crossed the center line and sideswiped a northbound vehicle, even though the operator, Dawn M. Connolly-Schafer of 42 Bowdoin St., had swerved to the side of the road in an attempt to avoid the southbound car. Upon impact, Connolly-Schafer’s 2007 Jeep Wrangler spun off the road.
Cranouski’s vehicle, a 2007 Chevrolet Impala, continued and stuck a second northbound vehicle, a 2013 Nissan Altima operated by Krystal Guilmette, of 22 Heggie Drive., head-on.
Guilmette’s car was occupied by three passengers.
Cranouski and one of the passengers in the Nissan were transported to Baystate Medical Center, where they were treated and admitted, but both had been discharged by yesterday afternoon.
Both Guilmette and Connolly-Schafer and the other two passengers in the Nissan were transported to Noble Hospital where Guilmette was treated and admitted but she was discharged on Monday. The others were treated and released immediately.
All three vehicles were towed from the crash scene.
Racicot reports that Cranouski said she doesn’t remember what happened or why her vehicle crossed the center line.
