Scott Pacheco

WESTPORT - The smiling, sensitive face of Westport resident Scott Pacheco, 21, will be missed in the halls of Westport High School, where he was to return as a senior this September. Mr. Pacheco's life was cut short when he was killed on Saturday, Aug. 13, in an accident near the Dartmouth/Westport line on Route 6.

"He was always smiling, always happy, always willing to do something for you," said Interim Principal Robert Wood.

Mr. Wood said Mr. Pacheco was very sensitive to other students and would tell Mr. Wood, who was the assistant principal last year, when someone seemed angry or unhappy.

"He would tell me, 'Mr. Wood, I think that girl is upset.'"

Mr. Pacheco loved to dance. "He went to all the dances that we had," Mr. Wood said. He was also involved in the Special Olympics.

"He was a wonderful student, always willing to help students and teachers," Mr. Wood said. "He was friendly and outgoing with everyone he met. Everyone knew him. He was always so friendly, laughing and joking. He was just a wonderful person."

Joel Sullivan, a teacher at the high school, said, "All the students at the high school cared about and loved Scott." He added, "He would share anything that he had with other students," even his own candy if it meant he himself would go without it.

Dartmouth police responded to the scene on Saturday after receiving a 911 call around 1 p.m. They found Mr. Pacheco lying against an anchor fence after he had apparently been ejected from a 1997 Ford Explorer pickup truck. The driver of the vehicle was Matthew J. Almeida, 16, of Westport.

After being treated at the scene, Mr. Pacheco was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford where he was later pronounced dead. Mr. Almeida was treated at the scene and later taken to St. Luke's where he was being treated for serious injuries.

Police also found an Oldsmobile on the side of the road with its roof crushed. Its driver, Maria Torres, 38, and her daughter, Ashley Torres, 14, both of Fall River, were outside of the vehicle. Both had been wearing seatbelts.

Ms. Torres and her daughter were treated at the scene and later treated at St. Luke's Hospital for what appeared to be less serious injuries.

Police said neither alcohol nor drugs appeared to be a contributing factor in the crash. They did not know if Mr. Almeida and Mr. Pacheco were wearing seatbelts.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Mr. Almeida was traveling westbound in the left lane in the area of 899 State Road. Police said it appears that he came behind two vehicles that had slowed to make a left turn through the median east on State Road. He then apparently veered to the right lane to avoid hitting the vehicles in the left lane and lost control of the Explorer.

The Explorer veered to the right around the slowing vehicles and then to the left, crossing the westbound lanes of State Road and the median. At the median, the Explorer apparently went into the air and hit the roof of the 1999 Oldsmobile driven by Ms. Torres.

The Explorer then rolled over, crashing through an anchor fence and coming to rest on its roof in a wooded area several feet from the road. The jaws of life were used to extricate Mr. Almeida.

By Peggy Aulisio

paulisio@eastbaynewspapers.com