LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — A single-vehicle crash on Partridge Road claimed the life of Susanna Thomas, 47, of Cheshire, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, August 7.
The collision occurred at approximately 1:10 p.m., when first responders from the Lanesborough Police Department, Fire Department, and ambulance services were dispatched to the scene between 782 and 785 Partridge Road.
Responders arrived within 90 seconds to find a Nissan Rogue engulfed in flames after it had collided with a tree. Despite efforts to extinguish the fire, Thomas, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle and seated in the driver’s seat, was found deceased with severe burns.
Preliminary investigations suggest the vehicle was traveling at a high speed, significantly over the road’s 35 miles per hour limit, when it veered off the road and struck the tree.
A neighbor reported hearing a loud boom before contacting 911. Investigators noted that there were no tire marks on the road, indicating the driver may not have attempted to brake before the crash.
The Lanesborough Police Department is conducting the investigation, the Lanesborough Fire Department, the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office, and the State Police Crash Analysis and Reconstruction Section.
