Developing: Taunton man, 24, dies after car goes into Threemile River, search for a second person to resume

TAUNTON Developing, 9:45 a.m. Nov. 10, 2026.

A 24-year-old Taunton man died after a car went into the Threemile River off Winthrop Street on Monday night, and divers planned to resume searching Tuesday for a second person, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office said.

Taunton police received a 911 call at about 10:15 p.m. Monday reporting a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed in the area of North Walker and Winthrop streets, District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III's office said in a statement reported by WHDH and the Fall River Reporter. The vehicle struck a utility pole and a guardrail, left the road and entered the river at 396 Winthrop St., according to the statement.

Taunton police, the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council dive team and State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office responded. After a search of the water, investigators found the vehicle, a white Nissan Maxima, in the river with one person inside. That person, identified by the district attorney's office as Alec Ardita, 24, of Taunton, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators continued searching the water near the crash because the investigation showed a second person was likely in the car at the time, the district attorney's office said. The dive team suspended the search overnight as water conditions worsened, and the office said the search would resume in daylight hours Tuesday.

The investigation is active, according to the district attorney's office, and is being handled by State Police detectives assigned to the office and the Taunton Police Department.

What we know

• Taunton police got a 911 call at about 10:15 p.m. Monday about a vehicle traveling at high speed near North Walker and Winthrop streets, the district attorney's office said.
• The car, a white Nissan Maxima, struck a utility pole and a guardrail and went into the Threemile River at 396 Winthrop St., according to the office.
• Alec Ardita, 24, of Taunton was found inside the car and pronounced dead at the scene, the office said.
• Investigators believe a second person was likely in the car, and the dive team's search, suspended overnight because of water conditions, was to resume in daylight Tuesday.

What we do not know yet

The district attorney's office has not said who the second person may be, what caused the crash or whether Winthrop Street is closed while the search goes on. We will update this story as the district attorney's office and Taunton police release more information.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.