Manchester Man Seriously Injured When Wrong-Way Driver Hits Their Car

MANCHESTER, NH - One person was seriously injured in a car accident when a wrong-way driver, who New Hampshire State Police say was under the influence, slammed their truck into them.

State police were advised by dispatch of calls for a wrong-way driver traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 293 near mile marker 2.4 on Saturday.

Troopers immediately responded to the area. While en route approximately two minutes later, a head-on collision involving a vehicle traveling the wrong way was reported just over a mile south at mile marker 1.2 on I-293 northbound. Troopers arrived and found two vehicles involved in the crash.

Manchester Fire and AMR ambulance responded, and firefighters assisted state police in shutting down the highway with a large debris field, with the two vehicles approximately 600 feet apart.

The driver of the Kia was entrapped, and the driver’s side of that vehicle sustained a devastating hit that resulted in difficulty for crews accessing the patient, according to MFD Battalion Chief Robert Plantier.

Firefighters took approximately 10 minutes to cut enough of the vehicle away to extricate the driver successfully.

Firefighters from Rescue 1 arrived on the scene, and on the scene, companies stretched a hose line for protection in case of fire and proceeded to dismantle the vehicle and remove the patient.

The driver of the Kia, identified as Kyle Sariceno, 34, of Manchester, suffered serious injuries from the crash and was transported to the Elliot hospital for treatment, The driver of the truck was not injured and remained at the scene.

Police say the initial investigation determined that James Defeo, 21, of Bedford, was driving his 2016 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck in the wrong direction when he struck a 2012 Kia Optima head-on.

Troopers determined that impairment was the primary contributing factor to the crash. Defeo was arrested and charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, reckless conduct involving a deadly weapon, and vehicular assault. Defeo refused bail services and will be arraigned in Manchester District Court on Monday, June 24.

State police Troop B was assisted on the scene by Troopers from the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction (CAR) Unit within the State Police, as well as fire and medical personnel from the Manchester Fire Department. Northbound traffic in the area was detoured off Exit 1 for approximately four and a half hours during the investigation and cleanup.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information that could assist in the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Noah Brown at (603) 230-3084 or Noah.C.Brown@dos.nh.gov.