BILLERICA, MA : Three people were killed and several injured on May, Wednesday 3rd 2017

Three people were killed and several injured when a Jeep Grand Cherokee crashed through a building at the Lynnway Auto Auction in Billerica on Wednesday morning, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said.

One man and two women were killed in the incident, and at least nine others were reported injured, two with life-threatening injuries, Ryan said during a press conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday. They were being treated at area hospitals Wednesday. She said people sustained head injuries and a number of back, leg and torso injuries.

Ryan said it appeared that a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee lost control as it began to enter the auction building at 400 Charter Way and “suddenly accelerated, traveling through the building at a high rate of speed.”

Several hundred people were said to be inside the indoor auto auction where the SUV was to be shown. The car struck several people in the crowd before crashing through a cinder block outer wall, law enforcement officials said in a press release.

The driver of the Jeep was an auction employee in his 70s, Ryan said. He was not been taken to the hospital as of early Wednesday afternoon, the district attorney said. Only auction employees are allowed to drive vehicles on the auction site.

“This will be a long investigation,” Ryan said.

Massachusetts State Police reported earlier on Wednesday that the crash appeared to be accidental. The incident happened around 10:15 a.m.

"Preliminary information we have suggests that this is a tragic accident," Ryan said Wednesday afternoon, adding that it was "early in the investigation."

State police assisted the Billerica Police and Fire Departments on scene with crash reconstruction and crime scene teams, as well as detectives from the district attorney's office. The Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council activated municipal police departments from across Middlesex and Essex counties and sent its Rapid Response team to the scene. Several fire departments also responded and area hospitals were put on alert to assist with treating those injured in the incident, according to the press release.

Four Billerica police officers and a firefighter are routinely stationed at the auction site because of the large crowds it draws on Wednesdays, officials said, aiding a quick response.

State police posted on social media asking media helicopters to back out of the air space above the crash scene so a medical helicopter could land shortly after 11 a.m.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Source :
Three dead in crash at Billerica auto auction