Mass. police increase patrols on Rt. 24

WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (WPRI) - Massachusetts State Police are stepping up patrols on Route 24 following several deadly and serious crashes.

Three people died in two separate crashes in the past month, including a 12-year-old Norton, Mass. girl who was killed when the vehicle she was riding in flipped over.

A Mansfield woman and Rhode Island man were also killed in another collision on July 15 in West Bridgewater.

State Police say they'll be adding 11 more patrol units, specifically on Friday and Saturday nights.

"We've had some very bad accidents here.  I think they've caught the medias attention in the last 3 weeks, but this has historically been a very big problem here in southeastern Massachusetts," said Col. Timothy Alben.

Police say a number of factors play in the accidents.

Since the beginning of 2011, police statistics show that almost a third of the accidents on route 24 have involved drugs or alcohol.

"That's significant and that suggests we can be doing a lot more than we're doing," said Col. Alben.

In the past, road conditions have also played a role in crashes along that stretch.

And while both Routes 195 and 24 are currently undergoing a renovation and resurfacing project, troopers and DOT officials worry improved road conditions can have unintended consequences.

"The road surface is actually in excellent to very good condition.  What's happened is it seems to have encouraged people to increase their speeds so we're asking people to slow down," said Frank Depaolo, MDOT Highway Administrator.

Upgrades to the roadways are expected to be completed soon.