A tractor trailer rollover on route 128 in Lexington in the midst of the downpours just before five a.m. Wednesday morning, not only claimed the life the 52-year-old Saugus man who was driving the truck, but the crash snarled traffic for hours.
Ted Cherry who works as an air traffic controller at Hanscom said, "I've been driving this for 15 years and this is the worst I've ever seen it."
Ellen Bletzer of Brighton, MA who was driving to hair appointment in Burlington said, "We've been going ten miles an hour on route 128."
Water washed over sections of the highway, making even slow travel treacherous in spots.
Wesley Dufresne of Attleboro, MA said, "I knew the highway was flooded back there a little bit but there's a truck turned over up ahead so I didn't expect that, so between the rain and the truck turning over it's been an awful morning."
Dozens of drivers pulled over into the Lexington rest stop to try to get a break or fuel up.
But they found themselves dealing with an even bigger headache.
Bob Leonardi who's driving from Connecticut to Vermont said, "We've been watching cars, we've been timing them for the last hour, there's a grey car up there that's moved about a hundred feet and it's been about a half hour."
Jodi Sabbagh who's headed to Methuen said, "Nobody wants to let you go, everybody wants to leave and I get it but then everybody's causing even more traffic because nobody's wanting to let anyone merge, okay so we're just all going to sit here and be mean to each other and not let anyone go?!"
A crash involving a jackknifed tractor trailer unit was also reported on I-93 north at Exit 2 in Canton, Massachusetts, shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday. All but one lane were closed.
State police in New Hampshire said there were about a dozen crashes on I-93, I-89 and the Everett Turnpike on Wednesay morning due to ponding and hydroplaning, and are asking drivers to be cautious on the roads.
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