Expert offers tips to avoid wrong-way drivers after deadly crash in Somerset

SOMERSET, Mass. (WLNE) — A wrong-way crash on I-195 in Somerset resulted in the death of a Tiverton woman.

Authorities said 69-year-old Gail Lopes was driving on the wrong side of the highway and caused a three car crash.

She was then pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Video shared with ABC6 showed the moments before that crash with a driver going the wrong way on the Braga Bridge.

ABC6 asked AAA spokesperson Jillian Young how drivers should respond if they come face-to-face with a wrong-way vehicle.

“You want to get out of the way, and as soon as it is safe to do so, go ahead and call 911 so they can be alerted to the wrong-way driver,” Young said.

According to the Somerset Fire Department, two others were hospitalized after that car crashed.

Young said several factors can set the stage for a tragedy like this, including drunk driving, advanced age, and driving without a passenger.

“If you’re driving late at night, having a passenger with you, someone who can be a check on your driving and say, ‘hey, wait, this isn’t right,’ can be really helpful,” she said.

State police said that following the crash they closed down all lanes of I-195 East to investigate.

There was no word on the status of the other injured.