Massachusetts driver dies after crash in Canterbury on Sunday

CANTERBURY — A Massachusetts driver is dead after a police pursuit and car accident on Interstate 93 on Sunday, according to a New Hampshire Department of Safety press release.

A State Trooper from the Troop D barracks attempted to perform a traffic stop of a speeding vehicle along I-93 northbound, near exit 12, at 12:51 a.m. on Oct. 19. But the driver didn’t stop, so police initiated a pursuit. 

The vehicle, a blue 2020 Honda Civic, was seen speeding and driving erratically, reaching speeds of 120 mph, according to the report. As the Honda Civic approached Exit 18, the driver — later identified as Benjamin T. Gately, 20, of Saugus, Massachusetts — attempted to take an off-ramp, but apparently lost control of the car. 

The civic went off the road, crossed the northbound on-ramp, went down an embankment and hit a tree. Gately was ejected from the vehicle. Troopers and other emergency responders attempted life-saving measures, but Gately, the only occupant of the vehicle, died at the scene. 

Members of Canterbury Fire & Rescue assisted Troopers at the scene. 

The crash is still under investigation. Police ask anyone with information to contact Sgt. Kenneth McGrath at 603-223-4381 or Kenneth.T.McGrath@dos.nh.gov.