BEVERLY — A couple of people suffered minor injuries and one was seen being loaded onto a stretcher for a short trip to Beverly Hospital after a four-car crash around 12:30 p.m. on Route 128 south, state police and eyewitnesses said.

The crash occurred as traffic slowed for bridge construction at Exit 19, those involved in the crash said.

While those in three other cars waiting by the side of the road said they were not injured, troopers tended to a woman, who witnesses said was in the third car, as she lay on the shoulder of the passing lane.

EMTs from Lyons and Northeast ambulance services arrived to immobilize the victim's neck in a brace, place her on a backboard, wrap her in blankets, place her on a stretcher and load her into an awaiting Northeast ambulance.

State police said two operators, a woman from Gloucester and a man from Vineyard Haven, complained of minor injuries, neck and back pain, and someone may have been placed on a board as a precaution.

The names of the injured were not available last night.

The crash site was just north of the ramp leading to Dunham Road and Brimbal Avenue, adjacent to the highway rest stop. A trooper directing traffic had to yell "let's go!" to keep drivers from rubbernecking.

Bonnie Conserva of Framingham said she was behind the wheel of a silver Saturn Ion when traffic slowed in front of her for construction under the bridge. All four cars were apparently driving in the left lane, witnesses said.

Her car was struck from behind by a red Toyota Corolla driven by Kim Muse of Gloucester. A woman who was put on a stretcher was in the light blue Honda Civic, witnesses said, and that car was struck from behind by a black Volkswagen Jetta driven by Adam Clark, 19, of the southeast Massachusetts town of Fairhaven.

The Civic received heavy front and rear damage and its air bags deployed. Two other cars also had front-end damage.

Riding with Clark were four others, Alicia Moore, 17, Jamie Parco, 20, and Jessie Peres, 17, all of Gloucester, as well as a 21-year-old man from Newburyport who did not disclose his name.

Clark said there was nothing he could do when traffic stopped short.

"If I could have avoided it, I would have," Clark said.