PELHAM — A teenage driver died Monday evening after his vehicle crashed into a tree off Daniel Shays Highway (Route 202) and caught fire, authorities said.

Joseph Tucker, 19, of Essex was brought by helicopter to Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer, where he died of his injuries shortly after 8:30 p.m., Northwestern district attorney’s office spokesperson Laurie Loisel said.

Local police and fire departments were dispatched to the single-vehicle crash at approximately 7:15 p.m. and found a state trooper, who was in the immediate area of the incident, who quickly called in the crash and asked for assistance, Pelham police reported in a Facebook post.

The vehicle had been southbound in the area of 234 Daniel Shays Highway, according to Loisel.

Responders found the driver trapped inside the vehicle, which was engulfed in flames. After dousing the fire, emergency workers used the jaws of life to free the driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle.

A Life Flight helicopter was requested to fly the teen to the Palmer hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries from the crash.

In a Facebook post, Pelham police thanked Pelham Fire Department, Massachusetts State Police, Amherst Fire Department, Belchertown Police Department, Belchertown Fire Department, Shutesbury Police Department and New Salem Police Department, as well as Life Flight for their quick response and assistance.

The incident remains under investigation by the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office.

James Pentland can be reached at jpentland@gazettenet.com.