Stolen Manchester Car Crashes in Bedford, Leaving One Dead

MANCHESTER, NH — A stolen car from Manchester crashed in Bedford early Wednesday morning, resulting in the death of the juvenile driver and injuries to a passenger.

The incident began around 12:50 a.m. when Manchester police responded to a report of a stolen 2014 Toyota Corolla on Clifford Avenue. The victim, a food delivery driver, told officers he had briefly left his vehicle unattended before it was taken.

About an hour later, a Manchester officer spotted the stolen Corolla on Kenberma Street, operating without headlights. When the officer activated emergency lights and sirens, the vehicle sped away. A pursuit was initiated and continued onto the highway, but the officer in charge decided to terminate the chase, and the vehicle was lost from sight.

Around 2 a.m., New Hampshire State Police found the car in Bedford after it had crashed. The juvenile driver, a 13-year-old boy, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

People who live on Briston Court told police they heard the crash and then screaming coming from the female passenger. He said he ran out to a fire lane behind the house and yelled at the girl to keep screaming until he could find her. Bedford police and fire responded to the address. The girl allegedly said she was kidnapped and seemed confused, at first saying she was 13 and then 16. Bedford Police confirm she is 14.

Manchester School Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel released a statement about the crash on behalf of the district:

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students, and our thoughts are with those impacted by this motor vehicle accident. In addition to our school-based counseling teams, we have brought in additional community resources and grief counselors who will be available at the school.

"We encourage parents and students to reach out to a member of the Southside team if you have any questions or would like to access these resources. Please note we have posted additional resources and information related to grief on the Southside webpage.”

Manchester Memorial and Central High Schools had mock DUI crashes scheduled for Wednesday morning, and cancelled them due to the fatal accident involving a student of the district.

The stolen car investigation is being handled by Manchester and Bedford police, who are investigating the accident.