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By Lauren Daley
Standard-Times staff writer
March 26, 2007 10:15 AM

NEW BEDFORD — City firefighters are mourning the loss of one of their brothers who was killed this weekend in a motorcycle crash.

A wake and funeral will be held this week for Brian Mello, 43, who was killed Saturday night, off duty, in a motorcycle crash on Route 44 in Middleboro.

Mr. Mello, of Raynham, was pronounced dead at Morton Hospital in Taunton, after he and two other motorcyclists struck a car driven by John Hanrahan of Weymouth, according to Middleboro police.

There are no charges at this time, police said. The crash is under investigation by Middleboro police and a state police accident reconstruction team.

New Bedford Deputy Chief Brian Faria said Mr. Mello worked on Engine 7; he joined the crew in November of 1993.

Mr. Mello leaves a wife and 22-year-old daughter, Chief Faria said.

“He was a hell of a softball player, I’ll tell you that. I’m not just saying good locally. I’m saying he was really good. He played on travel teams all over. Really skilled. He was very talented, physically.”

He chuckled as he recalled Mr. Mello as “being pretty loud” around the station.

The news of Mr. Mello’s death “really flew through the department pretty quickly,” Chief Faria said.

“It seems at headquarters they knew at quarter of 6 in the evening; the whole department knew by 8 in evening. It really zipped right through.”

Three motorcycles collided with Mr. Hanrahan’s car in the westbound lane near the entrance ramp to Interstate 495 around 4:19 p.m.

The two other motorcyclists are Thomas Newhook of Middleboro and Wolfgang Decker of Bridgewater, police said.

Mr. Newhook was listed in good condition this morning at Morton Hospital according to a hospital spokesman.

Mr. Decker was in the intensive care unit with an unlisted condition, the spokesman said.

Neither Mr. Hanrahan nor his two passengers were injured.

Chief Faria said, “We don’t really know that much about the accident. It sounds really strange. Three individuals, all told.”

Contact Lauren Daley at ldaley@s-t.com