12 Vehicles Collide On I-89 In Concord, Hopkinton; 5 People Taken To The Hospital

CONCORD, NH — Concord fire and rescue teams and New Hampshire State Police, as well as Hopkinton firefighters and police and Henniker firefighters, were called to crashes with injuries on the southbound side of Interstate 89 on Friday morning.

Around 6:45 a.m., Concord fire and rescue teams were sent to the area between Exit 3 and Exit 2 for a report of a crash. When they arrived, firefighters found “multiple rear-end collisions, spanning an 800-yard stretch of highway,” according to Deputy Chief Mark Hebert.

“Drivers cited that intense sun glare reflected by the wet roadway was a contributing cause of the accidents,” he said. “The initial accident caused other vehicles to brake quickly or strike the vehicle in front of them, leading to nine vehicles suffering major damage or being destroyed.”

The incident commander requested more personnel, and the highway was shut down for about 45 minutes just north of the crash to secure the safety of fire crews and tow companies. Three people were taken to Concord Hospital, two with “significant injuries,” Hebert said.

About 30 minutes later, Hopkinton fire and rescue teams were sent to a multi-vehicle crash involving a large truck and vehicles on the southbound side of the highway around one and a half miles north of the original crash. Concord also sent personnel to assist Hopkinton firefighters in removing one person who was trapped in a vehicle. That person and one other were also taken to the hospital.

“The second accident involved multiple cars with significant damage, including an empty log truck that was struck from behind,” Hebert said. “The bright sun and the sudden braking of multiple vehicles was also cited as a contributing factor in this incident.”

The highway was shut down again to clear the scene. He said two vehicles were destroyed, and the truck was significantly damaged.

Hebert said the department reminded drivers to reduce speeds when driving in difficult conditions like sun glare and to have patience when emergency crews are tending to crashes and injuries.

“Driver distraction while passing accidents greatly jeopardizes the safety of crews working at accident scenes,” Hebert said. “We ask that you focus attention on the flow of traffic and your vehicle’s path of travel.”

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