A 19-year-old was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash that closed the northbound side of the F.E. Everett Turnpike in Merrimack, New Hampshire, for a couple of hours Saturday evening.
NH State Police say troopers, along with the Merrimack Fire and Rescue Department and the state department of transportation, responded around 4:28 p.m. to reports that a vehicle had crashed into construction barrels at the Exit 10 offramp.
Responding crews found a Honda Accord off the roadway with heavy front-end damage, and a driver who had sustained serious injuries.
Police initially released limited information, saying only that a crash had closed the highway at Exit 10, and that drivers should anticipate delays and detours, avoiding the area if possible.
Police said later Saturday that a preliminary investigation showed the Honda, driven by Michael Ruiz, struck the barrels and traveled down an embankment to the edge of the woods.
Ruiz's injuries are serious but non-life threatening, according to police. There were no other vehicles involved, and no one else was hurt.
All northbound lanes of the highway were closed at Exit 10 for about two hours while debris was cleaned up, and the Honda was removed from the scene.
Local
Speed appears to be a factor in the crash, police said, and Ruiz was cited for reckless driving.
All aspects of the crash remain under investigation, police added, and anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Matthew Howe at 603-223-4381 or Matthew.S.Howe@DOS.NH.GOV.
