2 car crashes on Laconia Road injure 4 people

TILTON — Two accidents and two medical emergencies within an hour sent several five people to area hospitals Wednesday afternoon, keeping officers and firefighters from the town and surrounding communities busy.

A head-on collision and a six-vehicle pileup occurred less than a mile apart on Laconia Road, resulting in several people taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Tilton-Northfield Interim Fire Chief Sean Valovanie said the first call came in at 12:23 p.m. on Nov. 19, when Tilton Police and firefighters were called to a head-on collision on Laconia Road, near Lancaster Hill Road.

According to Police Lt. Andrew Salmon, a vehicle traveling west crossed the center line causing the crash, which sent two people to Concord Hospital-Laconia with non-life-threatening injuries. He did not have an update about the medical status of the patients on Thursday.

Another vehicle was also involved in the accident, which Salmon described as “collateral damage” from the collision.

The crash is under investigation, and Salmon was unsure if anyone will be charged.

Valovanie said Rusty’s Towing removed the vehicles from the scene, and ambulances took patients to the hospital before 1 p.m.

The accident clogged up traffic in the area, with Valovanie saying there isn’t a good spot for detours. While firefighters were at the scene, a call came in about a medical emergency at the police station that required ambulance transport. The Tilton-Northfield ambulances were tied up with patients from the car accident, so an ambulance from the Sanbornton Fire Department took the patient from the Tilton Police station to Concord Hospital-Laconia.

After leaving the accident scene at 1:04 p.m., firefighters were called at 1:11 p.m. for a six-vehicle accident that involved one rollover, near 679 Laconia Road. Less than a mile from the first accident, Valovanie said it was completely unrelated.

Valovanie said the Sanbornton ambulance came across the second crash while transporting the patient from the Tilton Police Department. He said this delayed the transport by about 15 minutes, but the patient was ultimately brought to Concord Hospital-Laconia for treatment.

He said a vehicle traveling westbound on Laconia Road somehow ended up in the middle of the lane, and hit vehicles traveling both directions. The vehicle rolled over onto its side, blocking traffic.

Salmon said two occupants sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and were taken to Concord Hospital-Franklin.

Valovanie said a Belmont ambulance took the two patients, as the town's ambulances were still busy with earlier transports.

One driver needed to be extricated from the vehicle, but refused to be taken to the hospital, despite sustaining minor injuries. Other patients were treated for minor injuries at the scene, as well.

During the second car accident, another call about a medical emergency came in from Northfield, and one ambulance left the accident scene to respond.

The roadway was cleared of the accident at 2:35 p.m.

“We relied on our Mutual Aid partners, and thank them for their timely response and good medical care,” Valovanie said. “It was a busy day, but it was handled well.”