Danidelson Monteiro was heading down Turnpike Street in his work van on Wednesday evening, just like any other workday routine. The 34-year-old Brockton resident was traveling along Route 138 near the southern edge of town when everything went wrong in an instant.
It was around 6:45 p.m. when his van hit a tractor-trailer near 676 Turnpike Street. The impact was violent enough to destroy the front ends of both vehicles right near the Raynham line.
Nearby residents called 911 immediately after hearing the crunch of metal and seeing smoke rise into the night sky. Easton police and emergency crews rushed to the scene, only to find Monteiro’s work van completely wrapped in heavy flames.
Firefighters tried to knock down the fire, but it was already too late for Monteiro. He was the only person inside the van and died right there on the road before medical help could reach him.
The driver of the tractor-trailer managed to survive the wreck with minor injuries. Emergency teams loaded the trucker into an ambulance and took him to a nearby hospital for treatment while officers secured the crash site.
Police shut down Turnpike Street entirely from Foundry Street all the way to the Raynham town line. Route 138 stayed blocked off for hours, forcing drivers traveling between Boston and Taunton to take long detours through surrounding neighborhoods.
Detectives from the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and Massachusetts State Police spent the night measuring tire marks and picking up debris. Local authorities say they are still working to figure out what caused the van to collide with the big rig.
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