RANDOLPH, N.H.—Several motorcycles and a pickup truck collided on a rural, two-lane highway sometime Friday, killing seven people and injuring three others, and sending onlookers rushing to treat and help the injured motorists peppered along the road.
New Hampshire State Police said a 2016 Dodge 2500 pickup truck collided with the riders on U.S. 2 in Randolph Friday evening. Officials said additional details would be provided as they investigate the deadly collision. The pickup truck was on fire when emergency crews arrived.
Witnesses described a “devastating” scene as bystanders tried to help riders that were peppered along the highway.
Along with the seven dead, state police said two additional people were transported to the Androscoggin Valley Hospital and one was airlifted to Maine Medical. Police said they could not provide the identities of the dead until next of kin have been notified.
“It’s tragic,” New Hampshire State Police Capt. Chris Vetter told reporters during a late news conference. “It’s tragic for those involved, tragic for the families, so we’re doing our job, we’re doing our work, and our thoughts are with the people who were adversely affected by this.”
Parts of the rural two-lane highway was closed Friday evening, state police said, and would be closed for several more hours as investigators comb the scene for clues about what caused the crash. A photo posted by WMUR-TV showed motorcycles and wreckage scattered across the highway and a truck on the shoulder in flames.
Update: Multiple fatalities have been reported as a result of a crash involving motorcycles and a pickup truck on Route 2 in Randolph: https://t.co/jRXu5YaPKK
????: u local/Miranda Thompson pic.twitter.com/2O8VTNWtQu
— WMUR TV (@WMUR9) June 22, 2019
Randolph is about a two-hour drive north of Concord, the capital, and a three-hour drive from Boston.
“There was debris everywhere,” said Miranda Thompson, 21, of Manchester, who was several cars back and recalled seeing a truck in flames on the side of the highway and six motorcycles.
“People were in the grass. There were people putting tourniquets on people, trying to make sure they didn’t move,” she said. “You could tell people were lost who it happened too … It was a sad day for all of them.”
Jerry Hamanne, co-owner of a nearby bed-and-breakfast that was hosting one of the bikers in the group, said he and a doctor also staying at his inn went to the scene to help. Others tried to assist as best they could but some people were already dead.
“It was so devastating to see the bodies on the road,” Hamanne said. “My God, I don’t want to see something like this again.”
Witness describes scene of crash on Route 2 in Randolph https://t.co/aLkwnGAJEP pic.twitter.com/VfT0N08tJA
— WMUR TV (@WMUR9) June 22, 2019
The crash happened about 500 feet from lodging where most of the motorcyclists were staying, Hamanne said.
Charlie St. Clair, executive director of Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, which hosts one of the state’s biggest rallies in June, said he couldn’t recall an accident of this magnitude involving bikers in the state. He wasn’t on the scene but said had been fielding calls about the accident much of the night. St. Clair said he heard the riders were mostly Marine veterans who belonged to the same motorcycle club.
“This is staggering and it’s tragic beyond description,” St. Clair said. “You have a bunch of people out for a ride enjoying one of the first nice days we had. To have this happen, it defies logic quite frankly.”
* 7 dead in Randolph crash; witness describes aftermath | Public Safety | https://t.co/jyK05TtzCy The Union Leader * 7 killed in crash between truck, bikers in New Hampshire NBC News * Seven motorcyclists are dead after colliding with a pickup truck in… https://t.co/FrtyGkvxVD
— Detroit Michigan (@DetroitMichiga) June 22, 2019
‘Motorcycles Dumped All Over the Road’
Miranda Thompson was a few cars behind the crash. She told CNN affiliate WMUR she saw “motorcycles dumped all over the road.”
“You could see people on the phone frantically calling, people pacing back and forth and just, they were lost,” she told the affiliate.”Everybody got out of their car and helped, got blankets and first-aid kits. Everyone went into action and just helped.”
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu shared his condolences Friday night.
‘“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and first responders who answered the call. State officials are on the scene and assisting as the situation develops,” he wrote on Twitter.
Valerie & I are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic motor accident that occurred in Randolph tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, & first responders who answered the call. State officials are on the scene & assisting as the situation develops.
— Chris Sununu (@GovChrisSununu) June 22, 2019
Road Closed ‘For the Foreseeable Future’
State police collision analysis and reconstruction teams are investigating the crash, and will continue overnight in conjunction with local police and the Coos County Attorney’s Office.
“Route 2 is closed for the foreseeable future. The scene is pretty large and there’s a lot of work to be done,” Vetter said. “I don’t know that I have ever seen a crash with this much loss of life. It was a pretty significant accident.”
The CNN Wire contributed to this article.
