A husband and wife were killed when a small plane crashed onto Route 195 in Dartmouth, Massachusetts Monday morning, police said. Both sides of the highway were shut down for hours
The fuselage of the fixed-wing, single engine plane ended up on the grassy median around 8:15 a.m. and burst into flames, according to Massachusetts State Police. Other parts of the plane were found in the surrounding woods.
Matthew Neto 
A woman who was driving on the highway was “impacted by a portion of the crashed aircraft,” Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said. She was driven to a hospital with injuries that are not considered to be life-threatening.
Plane crash victims identified
The district attorney identified the victims as 68-year-old Thomas Perkins and his wife, 66-year-old Agatha Perkins. Both are from Middletown, Rhode Island.
They were found in the fuselage of the plane in the median and pronounced dead at the scene.
Rhode Island State Senator Lou DiPalma represents Middletown and Newport and says the couple is well-known in the area. “This is a big loss to the community and tragic of what happened,” DiPalma told WPRI.
DiPalma said the couple was a part of Kirby-Perkins Construction, the Middletown-based company known for their work in historic restoration and custom homes.
He says his kids went to school with the Perkins’ children at St. Philomena School in Portsmouth. “They were always there and always giving quite a bit back to the school and you always knew they were around,” DiPalma said.
NTSB investigating crash
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is looking into what caused the crash. The agency said the Socata TBM-700 aircraft had flown out of New Bedford Regional Airport. According to Flightradar24, the plane was enroute to Kenosha, Wisconsin.
CBS Boston 
A photo and video on social media showed the wreckage in flames on the highway in the rain. There was also a wrecked car in the median that belonged to the injured driver.
In a statement, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said officials at the airport are prepared to support the investigation led by the NTSB.
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this morning’s tragic plane crash in North Dartmouth,” Mayor Mitchell said. “I appreciate the swift and skillful response by New Bedford’s emergency responders, as well as the Massachusetts State Police and other state and municipal officials. I am grateful that the crash miraculously did not result in serious injuries to motorists on Interstate 195.”
CBS Boston 
Jen Jacobs was driving on the highway when she saw fiery crash. “I look over and I’m like, that doesn’t look like a car. And then, I see the flames. And then I see the flames going all the way across to 195 westbound,” Jacobs said.
She watched as one first responder doused the fuselage with a fire extinguisher. “I looked at the plane and I thought, nothing good is going to come out of this. It was in pieces,” Jacobs said.
All lanes of travel except the left-most eastbound lane were reopened in time for the evening commute.
“Troopers will remain at the site overnight to ensure the integrity of the scene until Federal Investigators arrive to conduct their investigation tomorrow,” state police said.
It’s not clear yet if the weather was a factor. A nor’easter has been rolling through Massachusetts since Sunday, bringing heavy rain and strong wind to the region.
Dartmouth is about 57 miles south of Boston and 28 miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island.
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