Little boy dies when stolen Jeep crashes into family at Kenny Chesney concert at Gillette Stadium

PLAINVILLE – Massachusetts State Police say a man stole a Jeep from Gillette Stadium during the Kenny Chesney concert Saturday night and later drove into a family of six stopped at a red light, killing a 10-year-old boy.

It happened around 8:30 p.m. near the intersection of Route 1 and Interstate 495 in Plainville. State police said 42-year-old Michael Escolas of Oxford was speeding in a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee and crashed into the family's Nissan Altima.

A man and a woman were sitting in the Nissan with their four children when they were hit by the stolen Jeep. The force of the impact also damaged three other cars.

Massachusetts State Police officers on duty at the Kenny Chesney concert responded to the accident, along with Plainville police and seven ambulances from around the area.

The Norfolk District Attorney's Office said all six family members, as well as Escolas, were taken to the hospital. The 10-year-old boy was later pronounced dead.

No information was given about the extent of the injuries to the boy's parents and siblings.

Investigators said the Jeep belonged to a Vermont couple who attended the concert at Gillette Stadium. Kenny Chesney performs again in Foxboro on Sunday night, the last of three weekend concerts at Gillette Stadium.

Escolas is expected to go on trial Monday on charges of intoxicated manslaughter, theft of a motor vehicle and other charges. He is currently being held on $25,000 bail.

A Gillette Stadium spokesman issued a statement following the accident.

We are deeply saddened and extend our sincere condolences to the family who tragically lost a loved one. We are working with the Massachusetts State Police, who are conducting the investigation under the jurisdiction of the Norfolk District Attorney's Office, to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragic event. We again extend our deepest sympathies to the family.

No further information is currently available.