Massachusetts
Skydiver dies after mid-air collision in Massachusetts
A skydiver has died three days after colliding with another skydiver mid-air over Orange, Massachusetts.
The accident happened Saturday afternoon after the man jumped from a Jumptown Skydiving plane, Orange Fire Chief James Young said. The Northwestern District Attorney’s office identified the victim as 62-year-old Robert Szabo of Connecticut.
The other skydiver involved in the collision was not injured, Young said.
Massachusetts skydiving accident investigated
Szabo was taken by ambulance to a Worcester hospital, where he died Tuesday evening. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.
The district attorney’s office said the cause of the accident is still being investigated by local authorities and the Federal Aviation Administration. WBZ-TV has reached out to Jumptown for comment.
Skydiver had years of experience
Szabo is listed as a staff member at Connecticut Parachutists, a skydiving club in Ellington, Connecticut. According to the organization’s website, he has been a passionate skydiver since 2000 and was a coordinator for the “Accelerated Freefall” program.
“Rob’s accumulated skydiving knowledge has made him an asset to jumpers of all experience levels,” the website states.
In 2022, a skydiver with Jumptown was injured after his parachute got tangled and he made a hard landing on the roof of a building.
First responders in Orange train with Jumptown to prepare for possible skydiving accidents.
“We don’t have emergencies at Jumptown very often, in fact they run a very safe operation, but like any extracurricular activity, there are risks,” the fire department said at the time.
The Greenfield Recorder reported that this is the second skydiving death at Jumptown in less than a decade. In 2018, 27-year-old Alexis Zayas of New York, died after veering off course and hitting a barn.
Orange is more than 70 miles west of Boston and about 10 miles from the New Hampshire border.
Fire broke out at an apartment building in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon, sending a column of smoke high into the air.
NBC affiliate WJAR-TV reports the smoke was visible from miles away from the building on Juniper Road.
More details were not immediately available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Life Care Center of Raynham has received a deficiency‑free inspection result from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, a distinction awarded to a small share of the state’s licensed nursing homes, according to a community announcement.
The inspection was conducted as part of the state’s routine, unannounced nursing home survey process overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. These comprehensive, multi‑day inspections evaluate multiple aspects of facility operations, including staffing levels, quality of care, medication management, cleanliness, food service and resident rights.
State survey records show that Life Care Center of Raynham met required standards during its most recent standard survey, with no deficiencies cited, based on publicly available state data.
The announcement states that fewer than 8% of Massachusetts nursing homes achieve deficiency‑free survey results. That figure could not be independently verified through state or federal data and is attributed to the announcement.
In addition to the state survey outcome, the facility is listed as a five‑star provider for quality measures on the federal Medicare Care Compare website. The five‑star quality measure rating reflects above‑average performance compared with other nursing homes nationwide, according to federal rating methodology.
Officials said the inspection results reflect ongoing compliance with state and federal standards designed to protect resident health and safety. According to the announcement, the outcome is attributed to staff performance and internal quality practices.
This story was created by Dave DeMille, ddemille@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
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