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WINCHESTER, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A Keene man was injured and an 11-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital after a high-speed crash on Route 119 Saturday morning, according to authorities.
Cheshire County Dispatch began receiving reports around 11:50 a.m. of a white Chrysler PT Cruiser traveling westbound on Route 119 at a high rate of speed. Callers reported the vehicle was passing other motorists beginning near the Ashuelot Covered Bridge.
Additional reports indicated the vehicle had left the roadway near a New Hampshire Department of Transportation work shed close to the Hinsdale town line after colliding with several vehicles. Emergency dispatchers were also advised that the vehicle was on fire and that two occupants were trapped inside.
Firefighters, police officers and emergency medical personnel from Winchester responded to the scene, along with mutual aid crews from Hinsdale.
When first responders arrived, they found the PT Cruiser approximately 30 feet down an embankment. Police said the driver was conscious but trapped inside the vehicle with injuries to his lower body. An 11-year-old boy who had been riding in the vehicle had already gotten out. The vehicle was reportedly smoking when crews arrived.
Rescue personnel from Winchester and assisting agencies worked to free the driver, identified only as a 43-year-old Keene resident. A medical helicopter was requested, but UMass Life Flight was unable to respond because of weather conditions.
The driver was transported by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center for treatment. The juvenile passenger was taken by ambulance to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. According to Winchester Police Chief David Rice, the child appears to have since been released from the hospital.
The crash remains under investigation by the Winchester Police Department and other agencies.