19-year-old dies in crash that hurls engine block into home’s second story, MA cops say

A 19-year-old died after Massachusetts police said his car hit a mulch bed and went airborne, sending the engine flying through a house.

A state trooper tried to pull over a man who was driving a Nissan Altima at around 8:45 pm on Aug. 20, according to a news release from Massachusetts State Police. Troopers say he sped up, ran a red light and veered off the road while going around a curve.

He then hit a bed of mulch that sent his car into the air, police said in the release.

His vehicle hit a rock wall, a tree and a light post before striking a Jeep in the driveway of a Belchertown, Massachusetts, home, according to state police. A Buick parked next to the Jeep was also damaged.

“As a result of the impact, the Altima’s engine block was launched out of the engine compartment and became airborne,” officials said. The engine smashed through the second story of another house and ended up inside the home.

The car hit the outside of the first house and “came to rest outside of the building,” police said.

The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office identified the driver as Miles Murray of Henniker, New Hampshire, according to WWLP.

Murray was ejected from the car and died, police say. No one else was injured, and no passengers were in the car.

The crash is under investigation.

This story was originally published August 22, 2023 at 6:01 PM with the headline "19-year-old dies in crash that hurls engine block into home’s second story, MA cops say."