A car that had been driving erratically, nearly avoiding multiple crashes, ended up colliding with a toll booth yesterday and killed the driver of the vehicle following the impact. The fiery crash happened on the Everett Turnpike in Merrimack, New Hampshire on Thursday afternoon. New Hampshire State Police arrived on scene shortly after the accident occurred.
According to reports, a 2006 red BMW had been reported for driving erratically earlier in the afternoon, around 1:00 PM. The car had been traveling south toward Bedford and Merrimack at the time of the initial call for their behavior. It was during this time that the driver of the BMW, who has yet to be identified by police pending family notification, narrowly avoided causing multiple accidents while reaching speeds close to 100 MPH. The BMW had apparently caused a minor crash with a pickup truck during this time period before they barely swerved out of the way in time to avoid a motorcyclist as well as a dump truck traveling along the same highway.
Shortly after these disturbances occurred, the BMW, while still speeding, almost crashed into a state police vehicle outside of a construction site around Exit 11 on the Everett Turnpike. Before state police could pursue the suspect, the vehicle exited the turnpike swiftly and crashed into the tollbooth positioned in that area. Upon impact, the red BMW burst into flames. An 87 year old woman by the name of Mildred Reynolds had been working at the tollbooth to the far right of the toll that had been struck and witnessed the whole accident unfold. She said that after the car had burst into flames, it exploded, and objects started flying through the air around her. Thankfully, she was able to escape the incident unscathed and made the decision to stay for the rest of her shift that afternoon. However, the toll was unable to reopen until sometime late Thursday night, as officials responding on scene had to remove debris and repair damages before allowing any other vehicles to travel safely through the area.
The driver of the vehicle was killed during the impact and subsequent explosion that followed. No other injuries were reportedly immediately in connection with this accident or any of the previous actions the unidentified driver had been involved in prior to colliding with the center barrier of the tollbooth.
State police officials responding to the scene of the accident have said that their investigation into the matter is ongoing. They are unsure at this time why exactly the driver of the BMW had been travelling at speeds over 100 MPH or why they had been driving so unpredictably. Individuals in the surrounding areas have stated that they are surprised that such a horrific accident occurred in this part of the highway. Merrimack resident Melissa Bell said she passes through the toll area on her way to and from work every day, stating “Everyone’s so respectful of the speed; they watch out for other drivers, everyone’s just so careful around here.”
Accidents can happen at any place and at any time, especially if the driver is not being cautious and is driving dangerously. This unfortunate loss of life will hopefully serve as a reminder to other that the decisions they make while driving can negatively impact themselves and those traveling around them. If you have been involved in an accident and would like a free consultation to better understand your rights and what benefits you may be entitled to, give one of our Boston car accident lawyers a call.
Additional quotes and information may be found at the following links: http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Car-Crashes-Into-Toll-Booth-Bursts-Into-Flames-322418991.html
www.wcvb.com/news/car-driving-erratically-before-fiery-nh-toll-booth-crash-witnesses-say/34838952