Motor Vehicle Crash Resulting in Arrest & Highway Closure

DOVER, New Hampshire - On July 17, 2023, at approximately 11:50 p.m., Troopers assigned to the New Hampshire State Police Troop A Barracks responded to the report of a motor vehicle crash on Route 16 South in the vicinity of Exit 9 in the City of Dover. Upon arrival, Troopers determined that the crash involved a single vehicle that had come to rest across both southbound travel lanes of the highway. Due to the crash, a large debris field spanned across the travel lanes and Troopers immediately facilitated a closure of all southbound travel lanes of the highway.

Preliminary investigation at the scene of the crash revealed that a 2012 Subaru Legacy operated by Marshall L. Stansbury, age 19, of Rochester, New Hampshire, had been traveling along Route 16 South in the vicinity of the Exit 9 off-ramp when the Subaru veered to the left while negotiating a right curve in the highway and subsequently struck the center median guardrail dividing the southbound and northbound travel lanes of the highway. As a result of the impact, the Subaru spun around multiple times, eventually striking the center median guardrail again. The Subaru sustained significant damage and became disabled across both travel lanes of Route 16 South. Upon arrival of Emergency Medical Services, Stansbury was evaluated on scene, and it was determined that Stansbury had no apparent injuries. 

As a result of an on-scene investigation by Troopers, impairment and distraction were identified as factors in the crash. Stansbury was arrested at the scene on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (Class B Misdemeanor), Reckless Operation (Violation), and Highway Markings (Violation). Following his arrest, a bail commissioner set personal recognizance bail for Stansbury and Stansbury was ordered to appear in the 7th Circuit Court – District Division – Dover on August 11, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. to answer to the foregoing charges. Due to his level of impairment, Stansbury was ultimately held in protective custody at the Strafford County House of Corrections.

Due to the crash, a portion of the center median guardrail in this area sustained extensive damage which had to be mitigated on scene by members of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation prior to the highway being reopened. While Troopers investigated the scene and emergency personnel worked to facilitate the removal of the involved vehicle along with a large amount of debris, all travel lanes of Route 16 South in the immediate vicinity of the crash scene remained closed and traffic was rerouted via Exit 9 for approximately two hours. Route 16 South was fully reopened to traffic at approximately 2:00 a.m. 

Multiple agencies assisted Troopers at the scene of the crash to include the Dover Police Department, the Dover Fire Department, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, and Eddie B Towing & Recovery. 

All aspects of this crash remain under investigation by Trooper Philip Sheehy.  Anyone with information pertaining to this crash is asked to contact Trooper Sheehy at Philip.J.Sheehy@dos.nh.gov or New Hampshire State Police Headquarters Communications Unit at (603) 223-4381.