An 18-year-old Chelsea resident was killed on Saturday when the pickup truck he was driving crashed into a wall near 1 Broadway. Officers responded to a report of an accident at approximately 6 p.m. and observed the vehicle with heavy front-end damage and a male operator pinned in the vehicle. The driver, Alex A Ventura, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Chelsea Police Traffic Division is investigating the accident, and preliminary findings indicate that the vehicle was traveling down Commandant’s Way and picked up speed as it drove under the Tobin Bridge and onto Broadway. The investigation revealed that there were no signs of the vehicle braking and that the operator wasn’t wearing a seat belt when the truck collided with a concrete retaining wall on the other side of the intersection. There were no witnesses to the accident, and no reports of other vehicles involved in the crash.

The Massachusetts State Police Accident Reconstruction Team is continuing the investigation along with the Chelsea Police. As of Tuesday, authorities were speaking with the victim’s relatives and examining the wreckage of the vehicle to determine if there were mechanical issues that may have caused the accident. Ventura, who graduated from Chelsea High School in May, was reported to be an upstanding and popular member of the community. Investigators are still awaiting autopsy results, but sources said there was no evidence at the scene of the accident that would indicate drugs or alcohol factored into the crash.

On Sunday night, a large group of local youths gathered at the scene of the accident to light candles, leave flowers and to pay their respects in remembrance of their fallen friend.