Adams Couple Injured in Five-Car Accident

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A five-car accident on Curran Highway on Sunday afternoon sent three people to the hospital, two with serious injuries.

 

Police Sgt. James Burdick said driver Anthony McBride, 83, and his wife, Ruth McBride, 84, of Adams,  were traveling north on Curran Highway around 1:40 p.m. in a 2004 Pontiac Vibe. McBride, former Adams town moderator and longtime businessman, made a left turn to go onto Old State Street to the secondary entrance of Walmart but failed to stop.

 

Burdick said McBride pulled into the path of Adam Bethoney, 28, of Stamford, Vt., who was heading south in a 2010 GMC pickup truck. Burdick said Bethoney tried to avoid the Vibe but the two vehicles collided, sent the McBride vehicle into the Mohawk Auto Center parking lot, then back into the southbound lanes, and over the median, where he collided with 67-year-old Richard Wade of North Adams who was northbound in a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu.

 

"Mr. Bethoney attempted to avoid the accident but was unable to do so, and the two motor vehicles collided which spun the McBride vehicle and it collided with one of the vehicles in the Mohawk parking lot," Burdick said. "It crossed the southbound lane, jumped the median and hit the Wade vehicle."

 

Burdick said he was behind Wade in his cruiser when the accident occurred. 

 

Two cars at the Mohawk Auto Center were damaged, he said. Even though they were parked, they are still part of the accident.

 

"It is a five-car accident, not two because two of the cars were parked at the Mohawk Auto Center for sale," he said. "They are still damaged and are still accident cars and the McBride vehicle did cross the median strip and did hit the Wade vehicle in the rear. Slight as it may have been, it was touched and is part of the accident."

 

Burdick said there are charges pending against McBride. 

 

Burdick said the McBrides' condition is unknown. Anthony McBride is currently at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield and Ruth McBride is at Baystate in Springfield. Bethoney was transported to BMC's North Adams campus, where he was treated and released.

 

Burdick said the McBride vehicle is a total loss, the Bethoney vehicle sustained heavy front-end damage but can be repaired, the Wade vehicle received no notable damage, one of the parked cars received some front-end damage and the other parked car received some paint damage from flying debris.

 

"The truck didn’t hit it," Burdick said. "It was all of the flying debris, dirt, rocks and pieces of the two cars."

 

North Adams Ambulance, Adams Ambulance, the North Adams Fire department and Adams police department were also on scene.