Rochester man involved in Raynham crash, motorcyclist hospitalized

Jun 17, 2019

RAYNHAM — A Rochester resident Michael Harnden was involved in a crash on Sunday evening that had a motorcycle operator airlifted to the hospital. 

Harnden, age 39, was driving a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV, and was not injured. He remained at the scene and was cooperative with police.

At approximately 5:30 p.m. on June 16, Raynham Police received multiple 911 calls reporting the crash near Walmart, 160 Broadway (Route 138).

Upon arrival Raynham Police and members of the Raynham Fire Department located the motorcycle driver, Michael Faria, age 36, of Taunton.

Faria was transported by a Raynham Fire ambulance to a medical helicopter in the parking lot of Walmart. He was then airlifted to Rhode Island Hospital with injuries that the Raynham Police described as “life-threatening.”

Preliminary investigation shows that the motorcycle was traveling south on Route 138 and the driver of the SUV was traveling north. Harnden allegedly turned left to head into the Walmart parking lot when the motorcycle struck his vehicle, causing Faria to be thrown from the motorcycle.

The crash remains under active investigation by the accident reconstruction unit of the Raynham Police Department. The SUV and the 2009 Victory Vegas motorcycle were towed from the scene. A third vehicle was damaged by debris from the crash and was also towed from the scene. As of Wednesday, June 19 at 11 a.m. the motorcycle operator was in stable condition at Rhode Island Hospital.

The victim was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.