UPDATE: Tiverton Man Dies in Crash on 21st Birthday

Updated on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013 at 2:39 p.m.

An unidentified 21-year-old local man was killed in a crash at Arruda's Corner on Stafford Road in Tiverton early on Tuesday morning. Today would have been the victim's 21st birthday.

A second Tiverton man, also 21, was transported to Rhode Island hospital via a Medflight helicopter just after 2 a.m. Tuesday with extensive injuries after Tiverton Fire Rescue personnel used the jaws of life to extricate him from the vehicle. His condition was unknown mid-morning on Tuesday.

Tiverton Police declined to confirm or deny whether the driver identified in an ABC 6 article this afternoon was indeed the man killed in the crash.

At 1:23 a.m. a resident of 423 Stafford Road called Tiverton Police to report hearing a loud crash. The first officer responded in less than three minutes, immediately followed by Tiverton Fire Rescue personnel. Emergency crews found a 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix with the two victims inside. The car had struck a utility pole on Stafford Road and catapulted into the wooded area off of the road. The car suffered extensive damage and several trees had to be cut down before emergency responders could reach the vehicle to attempt to extricate the men.

Tiverton Police Capt. Patrick Jones said the department was investigating the pre-accident events as well as other factors that may have played into the crash.

"We do not know where they were coming from, but part of the investigation is to determine the pre-accident events," said Jones.

"We are investigating the pre-accident, post-accident and we will not limit our investigation to discount speed as a factor," he added.

Jones declined to comment as to what specific factors police were considering as the cause of the crash. 

"Definitively, we can say that they were traveling south on Stafford Road approaching the area of Arruda's Curve and the vehicle then upon negotiating the turn on Arruda's Curve struck the utility pole which catapulted it into the woods, trapping both victims," said Jones. "At this point anything else is part of the investigation."

Neither man was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was turned over to the custody of the state Medical Examiner at about 2:30 a.m. 

"This is a terrible, terrible way to end the summer and a stark reminder to motorists to always use their safety belts," said Jones in an interview on Tuesday morning.

Police Chief Thomas Blakey met with the parents of the men early on Tuesday morning, but police said both victims would remain unidentified to allow extended family members time to learn of the news.

Fall River Heavy Duty Rescue, Fall River Rescue, Westport Fire and Middletown all responded to assist at the scene of the crash or to provide coverage to Tiverton stations while local emergency responders worked to save the men.