BOXFORD — Masconomet senior Michael Doherty and his friend Evan Wiendczak were speeding along a narrow street Sunday when their car veered out of control, hit three trees and threw Doherty from the passenger seat into the road, police said.

Doherty died just 1,000 feet down the road from his house.

Friends yesterday remembered him as an outgoing kid who had a positive outlook on life, and who loved to race all-terrain motocross bikes.

Doherty, 18, was killed in the single-car crash on Highland Road at 6:34 p.m. Sunday, police Chief Gordon Russell said. He was the only passenger in a car driven by classmate Wiendczak, 18, of 525 Ipswich Road, Russell said.

Wiendczak, who is in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, was cited yesterday afternoon with motor vehicle homicide, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and speeding, Russell said. The charge of motor vehicle homicide carries up to 21âÑ2 years in jail and the loss of a license for 15 years.

Boxford and state police, including the State Police Reconstruction Team, are investigating, Russell said.

"He was a big motocross rider," said friend Ryan Aghoian, a senior at North Shore Technical High and a former student at Masco who knew Doherty since both were in third grade.

He was among the two dozen or so young people who gathered at the site of the crash across from 21 Highland Road yesterday after school. The makeshift memorial included bouquets of flowers at the base of a tree that appeared to show marks from the crash.

"Him, his brother and his dad went to the tracks all over New England," Aghoian said about Michael Doherty's father, Michael Doherty Sr. and younger brother Matt.

"He raced; he was pretty good. He had a good plan for life," Aghoian said. "He was going to move to Florida and bring his bikes with him. ... He had a playroom full of trophies." Aghoian would often call his friend to get together, but he found Doherty would be cleaning his dirt bike.

Doherty also rode all-terrain vehicles around his house and liked to mountain bike.

Doherty was fond of his car, a Pontiac GTO.

Masconomet Superintendent Anthony Bent said grief counselors would be available to any student who wished to talk about the incident.

Counselors would meet with students in Doherty's classes. The school held a meeting of the faculty yesterday morning five minutes before school started, and they held a moment of silence for Doherty. Principal Pam Culver made the announcement to students, Bent said.

"The school has some terrific expertise and some wise counselors," Bent said.

Aghoian said he stopped by Masconomet yesterday morning before heading to his school in Middleton and found "everyone was silent. No one was saying anything."

A person who answered the phone at Doherty's home said his parents were unavailable for comment.

Russell said he could not say whether Doherty was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

"We are conducting a full and thorough investigation," Russell said.

Police have impounded the car, a 2005 Mitsubishi owned by Wiendczak's mother, Russell said.

Russell would not say if alcohol or drugs were factors in the accident.

"We haven't ruled anything out at this point," Russell said.

The car struck at least three trees before coming to rest between the road's soft shoulder and a stone wall. It was headed toward Spofford Road in the direction of Georgetown. Highland Road is on the west side of Boxford.

"The Fire Department responded to a motor-vehicle accident called in by some neighbors on Highland Road who heard the crash," fire Chief Kerry Stickney said.

MedFlight was called to the West Boxford fire station on Main Street, and the helicopter landed, but after responders conferred with the crew, Doherty and Wiendczak were taken to Lawrence General Hospital by Trinity Ambulance. Doherty died at the hospital, the district attorney's office said.

Stickney commended the Fire Department's response, which included West Boxford responders at the scene and East Boxford firefighters at the landing zone. A critical incident debriefing for firefighters in what is a mostly on-call, volunteer department has been scheduled for Monday evening.

"It's a close town," Stickney said. "Everyone knows each other," including firefighters who knew the victim.

Staff writer Ethan Forman can be reached at 978-338-2673 or by e-mail at eforman@salemnews.com.