Traffic & Transit
Woman Seriously Injured In Crash On Everett Turnpike In Merrimack
Rescuers worked for more than an hour to extricate a driver from a car on Monday. Firefighters had to cut trees to access the car.
MERRIMACK, NH — Merrimack Fire and Police responded to a reported vehicle into the woods on the northbound side of the Everett Turnpike near Mile Marker 13.2 on Monday.
Responders were updated that a woman in the car was entrapped and seriously injured. When firefighters arrived at the scene, just after 4:30 a.m., they found a car well off the highway and surrounded by trees taken down by the crash.
Merrimack police assisted firefighters who attempted to access the woman and began to cut trees to access the vehicle. Crews discovered a car seat in the back seat of the vehicle and a woman in the driver's seat. A search immediately began to see if there was a child in the vehicle. It was confirmed later the driver was the only occupant.
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Crews used multiple sets of Jaws of Life in an attempt to access the woman and began cutting the roof from the car. Additional personnel was requested to the scene and New Hampshire State Police closed the right lane of travel.
Merrimack Fire requested the availability of a medical helicopter — but it was unavailable due to the weather. A request was made to see if DHART could bring blood to the scene. However, the closest unit was in Lebanon. A trauma alert was activated at the Elliot Hospital for a woman believed to be in her 20s.
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Firefighters continued to work intensely to cut the woman from the car and utilized hydraulic cutting tools, saws, and two sets of jaws of life.
A second ambulance from Nashua was requested due to several firefighters beginning to experience heat exhaustion after still working on removing the woman.
After an hour and 20 minutes, the woman was removed from the car and rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
State police say the initial investigation shows a 2002 Cadillac Deville left the right side of the road traveling a significant distance and striking trees before it came to a stop. The accident was in the area of the Baboosic Lake Road overpass.
Skiff's Towing was brought to the scene to remove the vehicle from the woods. State police shut the highway down with a rolling roadblock as the tow truck pulled the vehicle out.
The driver's name has not been released by authorities at this time.
Anyone with information regarding the crash is being urged to contact Trooper Kyle Foster at (603) 223-3785 or by email at Kyle.B.Foster@dos.nh.gov.
©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news
