Massachusetts Auto Auction Site Where Five Died Fined $267K

A federal workers’ safety agency is recommending $267,081 in penalties for a Massachusetts auto auction house where five people died when a vehicle suddenly accelerated into a crowd.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, announced it was citing Lynnway Auto Auction in Billerica for a range of infractions, including blocked exit routes, electrical hazards and record-keeping deficiencies.

The OSHA inspection came after a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a Lynnway employee apparently lurched out of control and crashed through a wall on May 3, killing two Rhode Island residents, three Massachusetts residents and injuring seven others.

Lynnway Auto President Jim Lamb said the “majority” of the infractions were “unrelated” to that accident and are being resolved.

The company has installed fixed bollards to serve as barriers and taken other safety measures.