Man hospitalized after car crash in Leverett

LEVERETT — A middle-aged man was transported to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield with “moderate-to-severe” injuries Friday morning after he drove his Jeep off Route 63 and into a tree, Leverett Fire Chief Mike Visniewski said.

Leverett and Shutesbury Fire Departments were dispatched to the single-car crash near 63 Long Plain Road at approximately 9:30 a.m. While the driver, who Visniewski said was also the Jeep’s sole occupant, initially reported being trapped, he was able to get out of the vehicle after he saw smoke coming from the car’s hood.

“The gentleman was [initially] reporting that he was entrapped, but there was also some smoke that was coming from the engine compartment,” Visniewski said. “Once he saw the smoke, he was able to get himself out of the car, and then the Police Department put the fire out with their handheld fire extinguisher.”

Visniewski said the driver suffered from injuries to the front of his body as well as to his head.

The fire chief added that although the man is not believed to have been speeding, the Route 63 corridor is a high-speed zone. He urged motorists to slow down and drive safely in the area.

“It’s a relatively high-speed road. I always like to remind people that there’s still homes and businesses. There’s a nursery school right next door, although there wasn’t anybody turning in or out of it,” he said. “[Motorists] should try to watch their speed.”