RINDGE — A severe traffic accident involving multiple vehicles left one person dead and others injured at the intersection of Route 119 and Payson Hill Road on Friday evening.
Rindge Police and Fire Departments responded to the scene around 7:31 p.m. after reports of a rollover crash came in.
Upon arrival, they found a blue 2020 Subaru Legacy with significant damage, facing southeast in the middle of Route 119.
The driver had already exited the vehicle and was later transported to UMASS Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA, for treatment of head and facial injuries.
A gray 2021 GMC Sierra was discovered on its side against a utility pole, with two occupants trapped inside.
Despite adverse weather conditions preventing a med-flight, rescue teams were able to extricate the individuals using Jaws of Life tools.
One of the occupants was taken in critical condition to UMASS Memorial Medical Center, while the other was pronounced dead at the scene.
The preliminary investigation suggests the Subaru was southbound on Cathedral Road and failed to stop at the intersection’s stop sign, colliding with the GMC traveling westbound on Route 119.
No other vehicles were involved in the collision.
Gauthier’s Auto Services and Cliff’s Auto Body & Repair, both from Jaffrey, NH, managed the vehicle recovery and towing.
The crash prompted the closure of US Route 119 for about four hours while emergency services, including teams from Jaffrey, Peterborough, Winchendon, Ashby, and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, worked the scene.
The Rindge Police Department continues to investigate the incident and urges witnesses with additional information to reach out to Officer Nick Lavoie or Chief Rachel D. Malynowski.
The authorities have withheld the names of the individuals involved pending notification of their families and have stated that no further information will be released at this time.
