SOUTH DEERFIELD — One person has died after a blue Toyota SUV crashed into a large tree in front of 50 Sugarloaf St. near the village center.

The deadly accident happened at 5:44 p.m. at the intersection of Thayer and Sugarloaf Streets. A Deerfield Police sergeant at the scene confirmed that the SUV’s driver, the vehicle’s only occupant, died as a result of the crash.

On Sugarloaf Street just before 6 p.m., about a dozen firefighters set up a blue canvas tent to keep various pieces of extrication tools out of the rain. Tarps also covered the windows of the SUV, which faced the Connecticut River.

Police Chief John Paciorek Jr. said, initially, the emergency call came in as a vehicle into a tree, on fire. He also noted that police shut down the road to allow investigative crews a chance to work.

By about 6:45 p.m., state police were on the scene. A few passers-by, who said they lived nearby, said their house shook when the vehicle crashed.

“It’s under investigation by Deerfield Police Department, and a state police detective unit assigned to the district attorney’s office,” Paciorek said. An accident reconstruction team, South County EMS and the local fire department, which brought a heavy rescue truck and a fire engine, provided on-scene assistance, he said.

A statement posted to the police department’s Facebook page warned motorists to avoid the area and that Sugarloaf Street was closed. The road was reopened as of 8:30 p.m., according to police.

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