One killed as car crashes into tree in Wareham

By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

An SUV crashed into a tree early this morning, killing the 65-year-old man who was driving, Wareham police said.

Officers responded to the accident on Great Neck Road near Squaw’s Path just before 5:30 a.m., police said. They found a silver SUV with heavy front-end damage after striking a tree alongside the road, which winds by beachfront homes in the eastern section of town.

The driver, Richard Daniel Goodchild of Wareham, was unresponsive when officers arrived, police said. He was transported to Tobey Hospital in Wareham, where he was pronounced dead.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident, looking at a variety of possible factors, including road conditions — the roadway was lightly covered with snow — and whether Goodchild had some kind of medical problem that contributed to the accident.