BY
JIM DEVINE
SALEM – An alleged drunk
driver was killed last Monday after
a head-on collision on Lake Street
ended a series of accidents that police
said he caused across town.
Police believe drugs or alcohol
may be a contributing factor
to the three accidents involving
Kenneth Callahan, 41, of 7 Meridian
Drive, Salem, shortly before
4:50 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25.
Though no serious injuries
resulted from the first two accidents
on
South Policy
Street and at
the intersection
of Routes
111 and 28, respectively,
the
third accident
killed Callahan
when his
late-model Toyota pickup struck
another car driven by Steve
Ouellet of Raymond head on.
The first accident was first
reported to police by Rueben
Agosto of Lowell, Mass., when
Callahan’s pickup struck his
car from behind while traveling
north on South Policy Street.
Instead of stopping, Callahan
left the scene of the accident and
continued north, while Agosto
followed the pickup truck, calling
police dispatch on his cellular
phone to provide them with
the direction of travel.
“It all happened pretty quickly,”
said police Lt. Kristin Fili.
“We’re not certain of the entire
route taken at this time.”
Minutes later, according to
police, Callahan struck another
car driven by Brenden Lareau
of Hampstead at a five-way intersection
of Route 28 and Range
Road before continuing down
Lake Street.
Police said the pickup truck
was traveling erratically while
hitting snow banks on both sides
of the roadway.
While approaching the intersection
of Bluff Street, Callahan’s
truck crossed the centerline
and struck another car
driven by Ouellet, who had his
9-year-old son in the passenger
seat.
Ouellet and his son were both
transported to Parkland Medical
Center with minor injuries,
while Callahan suffered critical
injuries, police said.
Callahan was transported
to Holy Family Hospital in
Methuen, Mass., where he was
later pronounced dead.
Both Agosto and Lareau were
not seriously hurt in the prior accidents,
police said.
The department’s accident
reconstruction team is currently
investigating the accident.