Savannah Salemme Obituary, Death – The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office has released the names of three teenagers who were killed in two separate car crashes in southeastern Massachusetts over the weekend. The incidents, which happened just hours apart, left families and communities reeling from the sudden losses.
The first crash occurred in Taunton late Friday night, September 19. Authorities said that around 10:13 p.m., 18-year-old Savannah Salemme of Dighton was driving a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck when she lost control. The vehicle struck the front porch of a home in Taunton before rolling into parked cars in the driveway. By the time Taunton police officers arrived on the scene, the truck was engulfed in flames. Despite emergency response efforts, Salemme could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The impact of the crash and the resulting fire caused significant damage not only to the vehicle but also to the property. Officials did not immediately release details about what may have caused Salemme to lose control of the pickup, but the District Attorney’s Office confirmed that an investigation is ongoing. Her death has deeply shaken the Dighton and Taunton communities, where friends and family are mourning the sudden loss of a young woman whose future was just beginning.
Just a few hours later, tragedy struck again in nearby Dartmouth. Around 1:09 a.m. on Saturday, September 20, Massachusetts State Police responded to reports of a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 195. Authorities said a Kia sedan traveling at high speed lost control and collided with the median. The violent crash caused two passengers, 16-year-old Brielle Raposo and 15-year-old Cameren Gutter, both from Fall River, to be ejected from the car. Both teens were pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later learned that the Kia sedan had been reported stolen out of Fall River before the crash. While officials have not yet identified who was behind the wheel at the time of the collision, State Police confirmed that they had received a call shortly before the crash about the sedan driving erratically and at dangerous speeds along the highway. The details suggest that speed and reckless driving may have played a role, though the full circumstances remain under review.
The dual tragedies within such a short span of time have left southeastern Massachusetts communities devastated. Three teenagers, all under the age of 19, lost their lives in unrelated but equally heartbreaking circumstances. For families, classmates, and friends, the losses are profound.
District Attorney Thomas Quinn III’s office acknowledged the grief surrounding the crashes, noting the heartbreaking nature of losing young lives so suddenly. Investigators are continuing to piece together the events that led up to both accidents. In Taunton, officials will examine whether speed, distraction, or another factor caused Salemme to lose control of her pickup. In Dartmouth, detectives are working to confirm who was driving the stolen Kia and whether charges might have been filed had the driver survived.
Community members have expressed shock and sorrow at the deaths of Salemme, Raposo, and Gutter. Vigils and memorials are expected as friends and classmates gather to honor their memories.
Both crashes underscore the dangers young drivers and passengers can face, whether from inexperience, speeding, or risky situations such as stolen vehicles. Officials urge families to remind teens about the importance of safe driving practices, while also stressing the life-altering consequences of reckless behavior.
As investigations continue, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and Massachusetts State Police are asking anyone with additional information about the crashes to come forward.
For now, southeastern Massachusetts is mourning three young lives gone too soon—Savannah Salemme, Brielle Raposo, and Cameren Gutter—whose families and communities will never be the same.
