Three people were killed Saturday when a vehicle traveling the wrong way on Interstate 84 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, slammed into another vehicle, state police said.
Police identified the driver Sunday as Deyja Jackson, 40, of Worcester, Massachusetts. The two victims in the second car were identified as Irene Karam, 83, of Manchester, New Hampshire, and Patricia Knauer, 62, of Deland, Florida, respectively.
Just after 6 p.m., state police received a report of a driver -- later identified as Jackson -- traveling west on the eastbound side of I-84, prior to Exit 6B in Sturbridge.
Troopers converged toward the area in an attempt to locate and stop the driver. But several minutes after the call, Jackson's vehicle struck another vehicle on the eastbound side, police said.
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Responding officers immediately attempted lifesaving efforts, but the collision resulted in the combined three fatalities.
According to police, Jackson was driving a Nissan Murano with a Connecticut registration. Karam and Knauer were the driver and passenger in a Volvo XC60 with a New Hampshire registration.
I-84 at Exit 6B was closed following the crash to assist the on-scene investigation. Traffic was diverted to Route 20, but the scene has since been cleared.
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Troopers were assisted on scene by Sturbridge Fire & EMS, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
The exact cause and circumstances surrounding the crash, including why Jackson was traveling on the wrong side of the highway, remain under investigation.
