Wrong-Way Driver On 293 In Manchester Causes Serious Head-On Crash

MANCHESTER, NH - Manchester Fire, AMR, and New Hampshire State Police responded to a crash on Interstate 293 in Manchester caused by an apparent wrong-way driver Saturday.

Responders were dispatched at 2:42 a.m. for a two-vehicle crash on I-293. MFD Battalion Chief Robert Plantier said it involved a vehicle operating the wrong way on the highway and struck another vehicle at a high speed.

The accident occurred 300 yards north of the South Willow Street ramp. The impact was so great that it left a debris field covering approximately 300 feet on the highway. The two vehicles came to rest approximately 600 feet from one another and involved a pickup truck and a small passenger vehicle.

The driver of the passenger vehicle 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 Plantier.

The accident scene was separated by such a distance that a third engine was dispatched to assist the state police with blocking the scene. The truck driver was able to walk away and required no treatment.

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. Companies took approximately 10 minutes to cut enough of the vehicle away to successfully extricate the victim, who was transported to the Elliot hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Engine 3 and Engine 8 stayed on the scene, protecting the state police until additional police resources arrived.

State police closed portions of the highway and remained at the scene investigating the accident for several hours.

At this time, it is unclear from the information provided which vehicle was traveling the wrong way.

Additional information on the drivers and the investigation is anticipated later today, and we will provide updates.