Three people were killed in a head-on collision in Candia, New Hampshire, on Saturday afternoon. Three cars crashed, closing the westbound lanes of Route 101 for four hours, authorities said.
Two others were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Speed appears to have been a factor in the crash, which began in the eastbound lanes and ended in the westbound lanes, but “all aspects remain under investigation,” New Hampshire State Police officials said in a statement.
Police were called to the scene around 12:20 p.m. after a 2010 Toyota Tundra, reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed, struck the sides of a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The car then crashed head-on into a guardrail and a 2003 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, police said.
The drivers of the Toyota and Jeep died at the scene. An injured passenger in the Jeep was taken to Elliot Hospital, where he died, the statement said. The identities of the three dead people have not been released pending notification of next of kin.
The driver and passenger of the Nissan, Timothy McMahon, 57, and Kelly McMahon, 18, both of Peterborough, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to Elliot Hospital as a precaution, police said.
Route 101 was closed in both directions until westbound traffic could be rerouted and eastbound lanes could be reopened, authorities said. The westbound lanes were completely closed for about four hours. Route 101 is a major traffic artery in the south of the state.
Along with the New Hampshire State Police, the Raymond and Auburn police departments, firefighters from Candia and Raymond, and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation responded to the scene.
In early August, a man was injured when he was thrown from his car after an accident on the Route 101 ramp in Candia, a police statement said. In April, four people were injured in a car crash on the highway.
You can reach Tonya Alanez at [email protected]. Follow her @talanez.
