Racing on Route 16: Driving Wrong Way, Somerville Man Injured in Crash

Three men, including one from Somerville, were sent to the hospital with serious injuries early Wednesday morning after a head-on, two-car collision on Route 16 in Medford, according to Massachusetts State Police.

The Somerville man was reportedly driving the wrong way—westward on the eastbound side of the multilane road—when his car collided with another, and investigators suspect at least one of the cars was involved in a race, according to a report sent by state police.

According to the report, troopers responded to the accident, near the MBTA's Wellington Station, at about 12:25 a.m.

A preliminary investigation shows a 30-year-old Somerville man was driving a 2004 Honda Accord the wrong way on Route 16 when it collided with a 2001 Honda Civic driven by a 23-year-old Cambridge man and carrying a 25-year-old Cambridge man as a passenger, the report says.

All three men were sent to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries.

According to the report, investigators have interviewed witnesses and are trying to determine why the Somerville man was driving the wrong way; investigators are also exploring the possibility the Cambridge men were involved in a race when the accident happened.

The State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section is in the process of reconstructing the crash, the report says.

The report also says investigators believe another car involved in the possible race fled the area after the crash.