Resident killed in single-car accident on Still River Road

Harvard resident Paul Swider, 56, died of injuries suffered in a crash on the evening of Aug. 5, when his car, traveling westbound, left the road and struck a tree near 222 Still River Road. Swider was the sole occupant of the vehicle, a 1998 Subaru Legacy station wagon, which sustained “significant damage,” according to police. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

According to a statement released Aug. 6 by Harvard police Sgt. James Babu, the accident occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Harvard police and ambulance were first to arrive on the scene and EMTs immediately began administering medical aid. Harvard Fire Department units also responded, according to the report, and extricated Swider from the car using the Jaws of Life apparatus. Swider was transported in critical condition to Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer where he later died.

Due to the severity of the crash, Still River Road was closed for three hours after the incident. Members of the CEMLEC (Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council) Regional Accident Reconstruction Team, of which Harvard is a member, investigated the scene Saturday morning, Aug. 7. Sgt. Babu will draft the final report, but told the Press in a recent phone call that his report cannot be written until the state medical examiner’s office has completed its own investigation, a task that can take at least 90 days.