I-195 crash leaves one dead, two injured

May 18, 2017

A single-vehicle crash on Interstate 195 left a New Bedford woman dead and two others injured, including a child.

On May 18, a 1998 Honda Civic containing two female occupants and a child crossed all eastbound lanes of traffic near the Reed Road exit around 1:35 p.m., according to Massachusetts State Police. The vehicle then entered the soft shoulder and struck a tree, police said.

Stephanie Merejildo, 21, of New Bedford was determined to be deceased at the scene. She was seated in the front passenger seat, said police.

The driver was airlifted to Rhode Island Hospital with life-threatening injuries, and a child was transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital with unknown injuries. The names of the two injured victims have not been released.

The accident is still under investigation by the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and the State Police Detective Unit for Bristol County.

Although the investigation is ongoing, investigators are determining if speed was a contributing factor, and are determining if the victims were wearing seatbelts, according to state police.