TIVERTON — A tragic crash on Labor Day claimed the life of a young Little Compton man after his truck careened off Main Road at around 1 a.m. Michael Ripley "Rip" Hudner, 23, of 301 West Main Road, Little Compton, was a sailor, backpacker, world traveler and student.

"He lived a charmed life," said his father, Michael S. Hudner, who described his son's accident as "every parent's worst nightmare."

Deputy Police Chief Nicholas Maltais said the accident happened just before 1 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 6 within the 4000 block of Main Road. Barely south of Tiverton Four Corners, Mr. Hudner's red 2001 Toyota Tundra truck left the southbound lane, crossed over the northbound lane and struck a flag pole, severing it.

Michael Ripley "Rip" Hudner

The full-size Toyota truck continued into a parked and slammed into an unoccupied 2003 Honda Element (SUV) at 4036 Main Road.The impact spun the parked car around and totalled it, the deputy chief said. Mr. Hudner's truck then became airborne, hit a storage building at 4042 Main Rd., traveled across the back yard and hit another building 100 feet away before coming to rest.

Preliminary investigation leads police to believe that Mr. Hudner, the truck's lone occupant, was ejected through a window sometime while his truck was airborne. He was pronounced dead on the scene. The Tiverton Police Department's accident reconstructionist Sgt. Richard Ruest and Officer Louis Farias Jr. are investigating. Early on, they said excessive speed was a definite factor, but they do not know yet how fast Mr. Hudner was driving.

"In terms of the sheer force involved in this crash, this is the worst fatal accident I have seen in my career," said Deputy Chief Maltais, who has been on the force over 16 years.

Mr. Hudner was less than four miles from his family's home in Little Compton. He is survived by his parents, Michael and Hope Freeman Hudner, and his 18-year-old sister Bay Adams Hudner.

A memorial service at Sakonnet Vineyards, 162 West Main Rd., on Friday, Sept. 10, will celebrate the life and spirit of Mr. Hudner, whose varied interests included music, yoga, meditation, eco-tourism and national parks, though he struggled for the past five years after acceptance at Harvard College to overcome a thought disorder.

"He struggled like hell, but he just ran out of time," said Mr. Hudner.

By Chelsea Wonacott-Mershon

chelsea@eastbaynewspapers.com