SUV Rollover, Fire Investigated In Hooksett; Driver Ejected, Hospitalized: Watch

HOOKSETT, NH — Police and fire and rescue teams in Hooksett were sent to a car fire and rollover crash on West River Road on Saturday.

Around 3:15 a.m., capital region dispatch began receiving reports about an SUV burning after a rollover crash near the Tri-Town Arena. Police arrived first and were able to extinguish most of the fire, according to dispatch. Dispatch told firefighters on their way to the crash scene that the driver was ejected from the vehicle.

Fire command requested confirmation of the ejection, and dispatch said the police confirmed it. Since Hooksett EMTs were in Manchester on another call, the fire commander requested mutual aid, which led Bow EMTs to be summoned to the scene.

When firefighters arrived, they found one occupant on the ground. The SUV, later identified as a Ford Edge, was still smoking. Debris could be seen trailing along the rollover crash area. Firefighters doused the SUV with more water to stop the smoking.

Firefighters requested the Dartmouth Hitchcock Advanced Response Team (DHART) to the scene due to the seriousness of injuries to the driver. DHART later told dispatch it would be about 45 minutes before the helicopter would arrive. The fire commander requested Boston Medflight to see if its response time would be quicker.

Around 3:35 a.m., dispatch said Boston had grounded its helicopter. DHART was also doing the same, dispatch said. The helicopters were grounded, possibly due to wind gusts as high as 30 mph at the time of the crash. Dispatch was also going to try and check with the University of Massachusetts helicopter, but instead, the fire commander canceled the request.

With Hooksett firefighters assisting the patient, Bow EMTs took the driver to Eliot Hospital in Manchester.

The condition of the driver is unknown at post time.

NEWS 603 posted a video of the scene on Facebook.

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