Troopers Investigating Fatal Rollover Crash At The Portsmouth Traffic Circle

PORTSMOUTH, NH — New Hampshire State Police believe speed and impairment are possible factors after a Porsche, driven by a man from Northwood, crashed at the Portsmouth Traffic Circle and the Route 1 Bypass on Thursday.

Around 1:15 a.m., troopers were sent to a report of a rollover crash at the junction of both roadways. When they arrived, they found a 2018 Porsche Macan had crashed, and six people were injured. Four were taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, while two were transported to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. Later, one person, Drew Ceppetelli, 21, a woman from Barrington, died, Amber Lagace, the public information officer for state police, said.

Tyler N. Troy, 22, of Northwood was driving the SUV when he “departed the left side of the roadway, onto a curbed divider, (and) entered the travel portion of the Portsmouth Traffic Circle,” she said. He then was accused of driving the Porsche into “the grass median in the center of the traffic circle, causing (it) to overturn several times,” Lagace said.

“As a result of the crash, several of the occupants were ejected,” she said. “Immediately following the crash, Portsmouth police officers that had been nearby at the time of the crash, as well as a number of passing motorists, stopped at the scene to render aid to the occupants until emergency medical services arrived.”

During the cleanup and investigation, the traffic circle was closed for around five hours. It reopened around 6:30 a.m.

“Based upon preliminary investigation at the scene,” Lagace said, “excessive speed and impairment were identified as potential factors in this crash, but all aspects of this crash remain under investigation.”

The department’s Collision Analysis & Reconstruction Unit was requested as well as the Portsmouth police drone unit, to assist with the investigation.

The victim's name was not released at post time due to next of kin notification.

Other agencies assisting at the scene of the crash included the Portsmouth Police Department Patrol Division, Portsmouth Fire Department, Newington Fire Department, Rye Fire Department, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office, and the National Wrecker Service.

Anyone with information about this crash was asked to contact Trooper First Class Goodwin by email at Nathaniel.D.Goodwin@DOS.NH.GOV or by contacting New Hampshire State Police Headquarters at 603-223-4381.

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