Police arrest Rhode Island man after crashing into 5 motorcycles, injuring 8

NORTHFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Police have arrested a Rhode Island man on several charges following Sunday’s crash on Routes 5 and 10 in Northfield.

“We had a really severe motor vehicle accident involving a car towing a trailer careened into a pack of motorcyclists,” Northfield Fire Chief Skip Dunnell told us.

32-year-old Ryan O’Farrell of Westerly, Rhode Island, was arrested following the accident Sunday afternoon. O’Farrell struck five motorcycles, seriously injuring eight people from a Connecticut motorcycle club.

Western Mass News obtained a statement from the Northwestern District Attorney’s office, confirming the extent of the accident. They told us in part, quote:

“The crash occurred around 1 p.m. in the area of 272 Main St. when a Ryan O’Farrell, who was operating an SUV pulling a trailer carrying a motorcycle, crossed over the solid yellow double center lane when he struck the motorcyclists. The motorcyclists were part of a group of nine from a Connecticut motorcycle club.”

The eight victims were sent to area hospitals, two of which were in critical condition and sent to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester.

3 medical helicopters were also brought in to transport some of the injured victims.

“It’s a nice area for motorcycle riding,” Dunnell said. “They were doing everything. They were obeying the speed limit, they were traveling as a group. They actually are from Connecticut. Their destination was a small BBQ place up in Brattleboro, Vermont, which is 12 miles away.”

There were two children, ages 11 and 12, in the same car as O’Farrell who were also taken to a local hospital, but were uninjured.

O’Farrell was arrested and charged with 7 counts of operating under the influence of drugs causing serious bodily injury; operating under the influence of drugs; 2 counts of child endangerment; negligent operation of a motor vehicle; unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle; and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

The crash remains under investigation.

O’Farrell was held on $250,000 bail and will be arraigned in Greenfield District Court Tuesday morning.

Stay tuned to Western Mass News on air and online for the latest developments as we continue to follow this story.

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