State police seek public’s help in Route 1 crash

SAUGUS-State Police are asking the public for help finding a vehicle that may have triggered, and then fled the scene of, a crash on Route 1 in Saugus that killed a 62-year-old man.Police are seeking a silver or gray Honda CRV sport utility vehicle, specifically, an older model vehicle with a spare tire attached to the rear hatch door, State Police said in a press release.Troopers responded to the crash scene on Route 1 southbound between the exits for the Lynn Fells Parkway and Walnut Street after receiving multiple 911 calls from other drivers.A preliminary investigation suggests this Honda may have caused a commercial vehicle, which was traveling southbound in the right lane of the highway, to swerve to its left and hit a dump truck traveling southbound in the middle lane. The dump truck spun out of control, rolled toward its passenger side, and hit the steel ribbon guardrail before coming to rest perpendicular to the highway.The driver of the dump truck, John R. Thebeau Jr., 62, of Wilmington, died at the scene. The driver of the commercial vehicle was not injured.Police said the Honda may not necessarily have any damage. It also may have pulled into the Taco Bell parking lot adjacent to the crash scene before getting back on the highway and driving away.Anyone with information about a vehicle matching the Honda’s description that may have been in Saugus Wednesday shortly before 2 p.m., is asked to call State Police Trooper Michael Tulipano at 978-778-8132, 978-745-8909, or 978-538-6161.