KEENE, NH – One person has been arrested in connection with a crash in Rindge that killed a passenger in 2023.

The crash occurred on November 17th, 2023, around 7:30 pm at the intersection of Route 119 and Payson Hill Road.

Following an investigation police determined that Elie Embal Angol Ayaya, 25, of Manchester had traveled to the intersection of Cathedral Road and Route 119 at a high rate of speed, failed to stop, and collided with a westbound pick-up truck driven by Sean O’Loughlin, 43, of Ashby Massachusetts.

O’Loughlin sustained serious bodily injuries, and his passenger Kiersten Bankowski, 33, also of Ashby was pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not provide any details on Ayaya’s injuries.

Ayaya exhibited no signs of impairment, and the cause of the crash was determined to be negligence.

Last week Ayaya was arrested and charged with two class B felonies – one count of Negligent Homicide for negligently causing the death of Bankowski, and one count of Second-Degree Assault for causing serious bodily injury to O’Loughlin. Ayaya was arraigned last Thursday and released on $5,000 cash bail on Friday. A trial date will be set.