Thomas Perkins,Agatha Perkins Obituary, Death; – A husband and wife tragically lost their lives when a small aircraft crashed onto Route 195 in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, on Monday morning, according to police reports. Both directions of the highway were closed for several hours.
The fuselage of the fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft landed on the grassy median at approximately 8:15 a.m. and ignited in flames, as reported by Massachusetts State Police. Additional debris from the plane was located in the nearby woods.
A female motorist traveling on the highway was “struck by a fragment of the crashed plane,” stated Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn. She was transported to a hospital with injuries that are not deemed life-threatening.
The district attorney confirmed the identities of the victims as 68-year-old Thomas Perkins and his wife, 66-year-old Agatha Perkins, both residents of Middletown, Rhode Island.
The couple was discovered in the fuselage of the aircraft in the median and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Rhode Island State Senator Lou DiPalma, who represents Middletown and Newport, remarked that the couple was well-known in the community. “This is a significant loss for the community and a tragic event,” DiPalma expressed to WPRI-TV.
DiPalma noted that the couple was involved with Kirby-Perkins Construction, a Middletown-based firm recognized for its work in historic restoration and custom home building.
His children attended school with the Perkins’ children at St. Philomena School in Portsmouth.
“They were always present and contributed significantly to the school, and their presence was always felt,” DiPalma commented.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the crash. The agency reported that the Socata TBM-700 aircraft had departed from New Bedford Regional Airport. According to Flightradar24, the plane was headed to Kenosha, Wisconsin.
A photo and video on social media showed the wreckage in flames on the highway in the rain. There was also a wrecked car in the median that belonged to the injured driver. In a statement, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said officials at the airport are prepared to support the investigation led by the NTSB.
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this morning’s tragic plane crash in North Dartmouth,” Mayor Mitchell said. “I appreciate the swift and skillful response by New Bedford’s emergency responders, as well as the Massachusetts State Police and other state and municipal officials. I am grateful that the crash miraculously did not result in serious injuries to motorists on Interstate 195.”
Jen Jacobs was driving on the highway when she saw fiery crash.
“I look over and I’m like, that doesn’t look like a car. And then, I see the flames. And then I see the flames going all the way across to 195 westbound,” Jacobs said.
She watched as one first responder doused the fuselage with a fire extinguisher. “I looked at the plane and I thought, nothing good is going to come out of this. It was in pieces,” Jacobs said.
All lanes of travel except the left-most eastbound lane were reopened in time for the evening commute. “Troopers will remain at the site overnight to ensure the integrity of the scene until Federal Investigators arrive to conduct their investigation tomorrow,” state police said.
It’s not clear yet if the weather was a factor. A nor’easter has been rolling through Massachusetts since Sunday, bringing heavy rain and strong wind to the region. Dartmouth is about 57 miles south of Boston and 28 miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island.
