Thursday, October 26, 2000 Older Editions

Fatal, fiery I-93 crash: Passerby pulls driver from car, leaves

By Adam Groff

A woman was killed and a man seriously injured Monday night when their car smashed into the rear of a van that was stopped by construction delays on Interstate 93 North, about a mile south of River Road in Andover.

The car's engine burst into flames after the collision and was extinguished by state troopers arriving on the scene.

State police removed beer bottles from the Hyundai involved in the accident. Police are still investigating the cause of the crash. Photo by Tim Jean

The driver of the 1996 Hyundai Sonata, Michael P. Bierlich, 39, of Manchester, NH, and his passenger, Sharon Bonfilio, 38, of Brockton, were taken to Lawrence General Hospital, where Bonfilio was pronounced dead.

Bierlich was flown to Boston Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition Wednesday. Police said he suffered severe chest and leg injuries.

State police spokesman Sgt. Timothy White said that a passerby allegedly pulled Bierlich from the vehicle and then left the scene before being identified. Bonfilio, however, was trapped in the car and had to be extracted by members of the Andover Fire Department.

State police have filed charges against Bierlich for negligent operation of a motor vehicle, causing motor-vehicle homicide and failure to use care in stopping.

Whether alcohol was a factor in the accident is still under investigation, said White. Police were seen removing both opened and unopened bottles of beer from the car, and Sgt. White confirmed that there were three unopened bottles and two empty containers in the car.

Jan Mercier, 28, of Dracut, was driving a 1998 Ford van owned by Mercier Electric & Communications in the left lane when he slowed and eventually stopped the van because of construction on I-93.

Police said there was another car behind the van whose driver apparently saw the Hyundai approaching at high speed in his or her rear view mirror and then pulled into the median to get out of the way. The Hyundai then struck Mercier's van. Mercier and his passenger, Mark Hall, 40, of Lowell, were taken to Saints Memorial Medical Center in Lowell and released the same night.

Police are still investigating the accident.