WARWICK — A 65-year-old Athol man died at the hospital after being transported for life-threatening injuries following a single vehicle motorcycle accident Saturday afternoon along Northfield Road in Warwick, according to Warwick Police Chief David Shoemaker.
Steven Coutu died after being airlifted by Life Flight to the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester following the crash that occurred at approximately 4:15 p.m., said Shoemaker.
His wife, Rebecca Coutu, 63, was riding as a passenger and sustained life-threatening injuries. Shoemaker said she was conscious at the scene of the accident and was transported by helicopter.
Shoemaker said both people were wearing helmets and required safety gear.
According to Shoemaker, the police department was notified of Coutu’s passing the day after the accident. He said he spoke with the couple’s daughter, who informed him that Rebecca was conscious and speaking at the hospital.
“The cause of the accident is undetermined at this time,” Shoemaker said Tuesday.
According to Shoemaker, because of the ambiguity of the accident location along Northfield Road, the Warwick Police Department, Northfield Police Department and Warwick Fire Department all quickly responded to the scene.
“The ambulance arrived on scene within 10 minutes of them being dispatched,” Shoemaker said.
Shoemaker said the Northfield Police Department arrived on the scene within seven minutes with Warwick Police arriving shortly thereafter, and the Warwick Fire Department was on scene within 10 minutes.
Engine 1 and Squad 1 from the Warwick Fire Department responded and upon arrival a helicopter was requested to transport the injured couple, according to a post on the Warwick Fire Department’s Facebook page. Another dispatch was initiated requesting additional personnel. Engine 2 responded and successfully set up a landing zone at the fire station.
An additional ambulance from Orange Fire Rescue EMS was requested. Due to the severity of the call, a second helicopter was requested to land at the Orange airport. The Warwick Police Department as well as Northfield Police Department assisted at the scene.
“We would like to give a shout out to group one at the Orange Fire Rescue EMS for getting both paramedic-level ambulances to town so quickly and providing patient care,” reads the Facebook post. “Finally, a thank you to our WFD members for being able to ensure that the scene and a landing zone were safely managed.”
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.