A driver in Burlington, Massachusetts, was quickly warned by a safety system that they were driving the wrong way on a local ramp. Lights activated immediately, and the driver managed to correct their course toward the correct side of the ramp, avoiding what could’ve ended in tragedy.
As reported by WCVB, the incident occurred on June 7. During the night, footage shared by the Massachusetts State Police showed a vehicle traveling on Middlesex Turnpike.
Moments later, however, the driver entered the ramp to I-95 northbound. They did so on the wrong side of the ramp.
Moments later, and as the vehicle is shown traveling on the ramp, bright lights suddenly turned on. The safety system had activated.
Driver Corrects Course
Shortly after the lights turned on, the driver abruptly stepped on the brakes. The vehicle slowed down significantly and drove over the median. He was finally on the correct side of the ramp.
Troopers later responded to the area. Reportedly, they had received calls about another wrong-way driver, but these reports were determined to be unfounded shortly after.
The incident described above is just one instance of a much more worrying epidemic of wrong-way drivers in Massachusetts. As per the Massachusetts State Police, between June 2024 and June 2026, authorities have responded to a whopping 680 wrong-way driver calls.
Safety System Explained
Just 10 days after the incident described above, Gov. Maura Healey announced further implementation of the detection system throughout the state of Massachusetts. Approximately $50 to $75 million will be invested in more than 500 locations to prevent wrong-way driving incidents.
These implementations involve the installation of new signs equipped with flashing LEDs that alert drivers once they are detected traveling the wrong way through lights and audible warnings. Sensors will also be installed, which will alert local law enforcement agencies that will coordinate the appropriate response.
“This morning on the way up, I got word from MassDOT and the state police at one of these very new technologies that we implemented actually stopped a wrong-way driver on the road,” Gov. Healey announced at the MSP barracks, WCVB reported. “Already, we know that this technology matters and it means something.”
Past Wrong Way Incident
This investment plan comes over a month after an MSP trooper passed away following a wrong-way crash in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. Kevin Trainor, the 30-year-old trooper, was returning home on Route 1 north at the time, the MSP detailed.
One minute after his shift ended at 2 a.m., Trainor became aware of a wrong-way driver in the area. Without thinking twice, and even though his shift had just ended, he began investigating the incident.
However, minutes later, he was struck by a Jeep traveling the wrong way near the Saugus/Lynnfield line. Both Trainor and the driver, identified as 50-year-old Hernan Marrero, died as a result of the collision.