Motor Vehicle Crash Leads to Highway Closure

MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH LEADS TO HIGHWAY CLOSURE

ROCHESTER, New Hampshire - On Monday, February 26, 2024, at approximately 2:15 p.m., Troopers assigned to the New Hampshire State Police Troop A Barracks responded to Route 16 South (Spaulding Turnpike) in the vicinity of mile marker 15.6 in the City of Rochester for a report of a motor vehicle crash involving multiple vehicles. Upon arrival on scene, it was determined that two separate crashes had taken place affecting both the southbound lanes and northbound lanes of the highway. 

Preliminary investigation at the scene of the crash revealed that a 2022 Freightliner flatbed wrecker, operated by Dustin Kay, age 41, of Dover, New Hampshire, had been traveling along Route 16 South when, for reasons that remain under investigation, he lost control of the wrecker. Subsequently, the wrecker departed the left shoulder of the highway, veered into the center median, and impacted the guardrail serving as a divider between the southbound and northbound lanes of Route 16. After causing significant damage to the guardrail, the wrecker traveled in a southeasterly direction across the travel lanes of Route 16 North and entered a wooded area adjacent to the highway, eventually coming to rest after impacting several trees. 

In the immediate aftermath of the initial crash, traffic slowed abruptly on both sides of the highway. Subsequently, a secondary crash occurred between two vehicles traveling upon Route 16 South when a 2015 Ford Edge being operated by Georgia Miller, age 54, of Dover, New Hampshire, struck the rear of a 2022 Ford Edge being operated Charlotte Cody, age 74, of Rochester, New Hampshire. Following this secondary crash, both involved vehicles came to rest within the travel portion of Route 16 South. 

Due to the initial crash, Troopers facilitated a closure of the right travel lane of Route 16 North, allowing traffic to flow using the left lane of the highway. Because the vehicles involved in the secondary crash and debris spanned across both travel lanes of Route 16 South, Troopers immediately facilitated a closure of all travel lanes of Route 16 South in the immediate area of the crash scene to allow for treatment of the injured by emergency personnel and investigation of the crash scene by Troopers. 

As a result of the initial crash, the operator of the wrecker, Kay, was transported to a local area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. As a result of the secondary crash, the operator of the Ford Edge, Miller, was transported to a local area hospital for treatment of minor injuries and the operator of the Ford Maverick, Cody, along with an additional passenger within this vehicle were uninjured. 

While Troopers investigated the scene and emergency personnel worked to facilitate the removal of the involved vehicles along with the associated debris, the right travel lane of Route 16 North was closed for approximately two hours. In addition, all travel lanes of Route 16 South remained closed in the immediate area of the secondary crash for approximately 45 minutes after which Troopers were able to allow traffic to flow through the right lane of travel. However, the left lane of Route 16 South remained closed for an additional hour to allow for mitigation of guardrail damage. 

Multiple other agencies assisted at the scene of the crash to include the Rochester Fire Department, Frisbie Memorial Hospital Emergency Medical Services, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, Dover Paint & Varnish, Rochester Truck, and Eddie B’s Towing & Recovery. 

Based upon the initial investigation, Kay was charged with a violation-level offense of Negligent Driving and several other motor vehicle violations. 

All aspects of this crash remain under further investigation by Trooper Daniel Bourque and Trooper John Harris of New Hampshire State Police Troop A Barracks. Anyone with information pertaining to this crash is asked to contact Trooper Bourque at Daniel.J.Bourque@dos.nh.gov or Trooper Harris at John.M.Harris@dos.nh.gov.