The juvenile driver, a student of the Teachers Driving Academy (TDA), was cited for causing the crash when failing to yield to oncoming traffic, Mansfield police said.
A man has died following a car crash that involved a student driver near a high school in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Officers were called to the crash at 250 East Street, the access road to Mansfield High School, around 8:30 a.m. Saturday and found two damaged vehicles -- a Ford Explorer and a Toyota Corolla that had signage for Teachers Driving Academy (TDA) -- according to a press release from the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.
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As officers were assessing the occupants of both vehicles, they noticed an elderly man in the rear passenger seat of the Corolla appeared to be in distress. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where he died about an hour later, police said.
Due to the initial unknown circumstances involving the man's condition, police secured the scene and requested an accident reconstructionist from Massachusetts State Police. Because the man later died, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office is leading the investigation.
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The district attorney's office has since identified the man who died as 80-year-old John Masciarelli and said it appeared he suffered a medical episode shortly after the crash.
The Corolla driver -- a juvenile with a permit -- and front seat passenger -- a road test agent for the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles -- were both taken to Good Samaritan Hospital for minor injuries, the district attorney said. The driver of the Ford Explorer also suffered minor injuries and was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital.
The TDA student driver in the Corolla was cited for causing the crash after failing to yield to oncoming traffic, Mansfield police said. Officials have not said why Masciarelli was in the car with the student driver and instructor.
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NBC10 Boston has reached out to the Teachers Driving Academy but has not heard back yet.
The incident happened just before students at the high school were heading in for a rehearsal, and those who spoke with NBC10 Boston later Saturday said they were surprised by what happened.
"It's really shocking, especially in a school zone," James Kennedy said.
"When I got here, I could see the Ford was smashed up and then I saw the TDA on the lawn, so I didn't quite know what happened," Jeevan Baylis said.
"Just sucks, I can't imagine what the drivers are thinking," Baylis continued. "I'm really sad to hear that."
Further information is not being released at this time, the district attorney said. An investigation is active and ongoing.
