New Hampshire State Police were called to more than 50 accidents with freezing rain falling on Saturday morning, including one in which a responding trooper's cruiser was struck by a car passing by.
Trooper Jacob Plourde was assisting at a crash scene on Interstate 89 northbound in Warner just before 8 a.m. when his cruiser was struck. According to state police, Plourde was sitting in his parked cruiser in the right breakdown lane with the blue emergency lights activated when the driver of a Toyota Camry lost control of his car, striking Plourde's cruiser.
Both the cruiser and the Camry were damaged, but neither Plourde nor the Camry driver, identified as Daniel Chen, were injured.
State police said there was freezing rain falling at the time and the roadway was ice covered.
A preliminary investigation reveals Chen, 34, of Boston, was traveling too fast for the existing roadway conditions and therefore was unable to maintain control of his vehicle as he approached the emergency scene, police said. Chen was cited for the incident.
State police said they responded to 53 accidents Saturday morning as freezing rain fell across the state.
All drivers are asked to be particularly mindful of their speed during inclement weather. Drivers are also asked to be aware of the move-over law which requires motorists to give emergency vehicles a wide berth. This includes police and fire vehicles as well as tow trucks, DOT trucks, and any other kind of service vehicle with blue, red, or yellow flashing lights.
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Anyone who witnessed the I-89 crash is asked to contact Sgt. Daniel Livingstone at 603-223-8545 or via email at Daniel.J.Livingstone@dos.nh.gov
