Man Killed, Girlfriend Seriously Injured In Oxford Crash

OXFORD (AP/CBS) — A pedestrian was killed and another was seriously injured after they were hit by a car that had been struck by another vehicle.

Massachusetts state police responded to the crash on Sutton Avenue around 11:15 a.m. Monday.

A preliminary police investigation shows the operator of a 2010 Lexus lost control of the vehicle and struck a 2011 Toyota Corolla. The Corolla then hit two pedestrians who were on the sidewalk.

One of the pedestrians, 53-year-old Daniel Sullivan of Oxford, was pronounced dead at the scene. Sullivan's girlfriend, 52-year-old Gina Cappello of Andover, was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester with serious injuries.

Allan Hull lives next door to Sullivan who was a truck driver.

"He was a jovial guy. He was good-natured," Hull said. "This morning, I spoke to him. He and his girlfriend were going out for a walk when I was going out to get my paper."

Cappello is a Vice Chancellor at UMass Boston and is in critical condition.

"The UMass Boston community is very sorry to hear about the tragic accident in Oxford today that resulted in the death of Daniel Sullivan and serious injuries to one of our staff, Gina Cappello," the university said in a statement. "We are all hoping for the best for Gina, and our thoughts are with the Cappello and Sullivan families during this very difficult time."

The Lexus continued on Sutton Ave striking two more vehicles; a 2010 Nissan Altima and a 2015 Nissan Rogue.

The son of the driver of that Lexus says his mom, who is in her fifties, is expected to survive. He says she somehow froze and got stiff behind the wheel before losing control. He calls it a freak accident.

Witness Michael Plouffe, Jr. told WBZ-TV he heard a "thunderous boom" when the cars collided.

"Cars just went everywhere, it was a horrible sight," Plouffe said. "It was like watching pool balls break."

The driver of the Lexus and the passengers in the Corolla and Rogue were treated for non life-threatening injuries.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

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