Crime & Safety

Five Hospitalized After Major Portsmouth Crash Now Under Investigation

Three men and two boys were transported, including the driver of a vehicle hit head-on and flown by helicopter to Rhode Island Hospital.

PORTSMOUTH, RI — Three adults and two teenagers were rushed to the hospital after a head-on crash on West Main Road in Portsmouth Tuesday night where firefighters used the Jaws of Life and summoned a helicopter in the rush to save lives.

Portsmouth Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael P. O'Brien said that firefighters responded to the three-vehicle crash at around 5:30 p.m. after a single 911 call.

A total of three cars were involved. Along with the two vehicles that collided head-on, a third car was grazed, according to police.

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The preliminary investigation shows that Billey Dodd, 54, of Portsmouth, was traveling north on West Main Road in a 2009 Chevrolet Suburban when he crossed the double yellow line and crashed into two cars heading south. The first, a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, was driven by 33-year-old Jonathan Barretto of Portsmouth and sideswiped. The second, a 2008 Nissan being driven by Bryan Babcock, 45, of Middletown, was struck head-on.

Riding with Babcock were two boys, age 16 and 13.

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Capt. Steve Lynch took command of the incident after the initial dispatch of one rescue and two engines. The captain soon declared a level 1 mass casualty incident, which means five mutual aid ambulances were needed to respond to Portsmouth. At the time, one of Portsmouth's ambulances was at Newport Hospital, leaving the town with just one ambulance able to respond.

Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to extract three people from two of the vehicles. O'Brien said the first patients were removed within 20 minutes.

Police said Babcock and Dodd were transported to Rhode Island Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The boys were sent to Hasbro Children's Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Barretto was sent to Newport Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

O'Brien said a lone female bystander was evaluated and treated at the scene.

Portsmouth Police Major Brian P. Peters said that the accident remains under investigation by the department's accident reconstruction unit and detective division.

Firefighters requested two medical helicopters from Boston MedFlight, but both were unavailable. Boston MedFlight was able to summon helicopters from Lifestar out of Hartford and one landed at Kings Grant Fellowship, one of 14 designated landing zones in Portsmouth, to transport Babcock to Rhode Island Hospital.

The Kings Grant Fellowship landing zone is about 500 yards from the crash scene.

Portsmouth firefighters were aided by crews from Bristol, Middletown, Naval Station Newport, Newport and Tiverton, which also responded to the landing zone to provide fire protection and assistance.

Portsmouth Fire Chief Michael Cranson, who took command of the incident upon his arrival, said he wanted to "extend his gratitude to all of the mutual aid partners. He would also like to commend all of the firefighter / EMTs on their heroic efforts under very difficult conditions."

The crash caused major traffic delays throughout Portsmouth as crews worked to transport the victims and investigate the crash scene. It came just a day after a crane accident on the Sakonnet River Bridge sent two workers in a bucket dangling under the bridge and snarled traffic for hours in Tiverton and across Aquidneck Island.

Photo courtesy: Portsmouth Fire Department
Photo courtesy: Portsmouth Fire Department
Photo courtesy: Portsmouth Fire Department
Photo courtesy: Portsmouth Fire Department
Photo courtesy: Portsmouth Fire Department

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