2 Turnpike Crashes In Merrimack Send 2 Drivers To The Hospital

MERRIMACK, NH — New Hampshire State Police were kept busy with two crashes right near each other on the Everett Turnpike on Thursday.

Around 11:30 p.m., troopers were sent to a report of a serious crash on the northbound side of the highway, near Mile Marker 14.2 in Merrimack. The driver, James Gaudreau, 24, of Merrimack, “lost control” of his 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse “and exited the left side of the roadway where he struck the guardrail and rolled over,” according to Lt. Bryan Trask of Troop B.

“This vehicle came to final rest on top of the median guardrail,” he said.

Gaudreau was ejected from the car and suffered serious injuries. He was taken to Elliot Hospital in Manchester.

“Speed appears to be a contributing factor in this crash, however, all aspects remain under investigation,” Trask added.

Anyone who witnessed this collision is being asked to contact Trooper Tyler Duhamel at Tyler.J.Duhamel@dos.nh.gov or 603-223-8787.

Not long after the rollover, a second two-vehicle crash occurred on the southbound side of the highway in the same area.

A driver of a 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan, Zachary Barnaby, 20, of Pepperell, Massachusetts, had pulled over in an attempt to render aid to Gaudreau, Trask said. While doing so, the minivan he was driving was hit by a 2012 Mazda 5 being driven by Joseph Lazarto, 44, of Chelmsford, MA.

Barnaby was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Nashua with minor injuries.

The New Hampshire State Police were assisted by Merrimack police and fire departments as well as the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. The turnpike was closed temporarily during the investigation.

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