One Rhode Island man died and a second one suffered life-threatening injuries after separate crashes on local roads this weekend.

Ryan Moelk, 27, of Cumberland, was fatally injured when his car drove off Read Street in Attleboro and struck a large tree near 383 Read shortly before 11 p.m. Friday.

The preliminary police investigation indicates Moelk was approaching the curve just north of Morse Avenue when, "for an as-yet-unexplained reason," the car exited the right side of the road, and the driver's side of his car struck the tree.

Moelk was pronounced dead at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro at 11:35 p.m. police said.

The crash is under investigation by city Police Officer Danish Malhotra, with help from Officer Richard Pierce Jr. and Detective Sgt. Arthur Brillon. They are getting help from Trooper Ed O'Hara from the State Police Accident Reconstruction Team and Detective Dan Thom of the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.

Meanwhile, a second one-car crash, this time on Saturday afternoon on a section of Interstate 295 in North Attleboro sent a Woonsocket, R.I., man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Michael Patty, 23, was driving north on the highway when his 2002 Nissan left the pavement at a high speed around 3:40 p.m., said Lt. William Powers, state police spokesman.

The car landed in a tree the median strip of the highway, Powers said.

Patty was listed in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, a hospital spokeswoman said Saturday night.

The left lanes of I-295 in both directions were closed while North Attleboro firefighters extricated Patty's car, Powers said. The traffic backup was minimal, he said.

State and North Attleboro police are investigating the crash.

MICHAEL GELBWASSER can be reached at 508-236-0372 or at mgelbwasser@thesunchronicle.com.