Lake Shore Road near Alton closed Friday for fatal accident reconstruction

GILFORD — A section of Lake Shore Road near Country Way will be closed on Friday, Oct. 17, as police investigate a fatal collision there last month which killed three people.

According to Gilford Police Lt. Adam VanSteensburg, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, the roadway will be closed. He said local traffic, including to area businesses, can pass, if they ask the officer in charge at the scene.

“What we are doing is part of our accident reconstruction,” VanSteensburg said. “We did a certain level of investigation out there on the evening of the accident, but this will button that up. Unfortunately, we can’t do that with cars on the road.”

VanSteensburg is also a member of the Belknap Regional Accident Investigation Team, whose members will be working with Gilford police. He said the team will confirm measurements vital to the report sent to County Attorney Keith Cormier about the accident.

“We have technology we will be using out there, so we can paint the most accurate picture possible,” VanSteensburg said.

Since it is a state road, VanSteensburg said police needed to find a detour. When on Route 11 heading south toward Alton, the detour will take drivers onto Intervale Road and over to Route 11A, which is also Cherry Valley Road. Cherry Valley will bring drivers back to Route 11 in Alton, near West Alton Marina.

“The road will be blocked off at Ellacoya at the Y intersection, but if someone needs to get to the Ellacoya Barn & Grille or Samoset, or local traffic, they will be able to,” VanSteensburg said, adding this is the same coming from Alton to get to businesses like Ames Farm Inn.

The accident took place on the evening of Sept. 20, when a Ford Bronco driven by Anthony Summers, 32, of Goffstown, allegedly crossed the center line and hit a pair of motorcycles. Scott Blomerth, 67, and Robyn Blomerth, 59, both of Alton and on one motorcycle, died at the scene. Timothy “TJ” Sullivan was hospitalized, and later died on Oct. 5.

Summers was charged with negligent homicide and falsifying evidence. He is currently being held without bail at Belknap County Jail.

Summers appeared in Laconia District Court earlier this month for a hearing on two homicide charges, before Sullivan died. Cormier said he could be facing another homicide charge, after a review of the evidence.

The case was elevated from District Court to Belknap Superior Court on Oct. 1, starting a 90-day window for Cormier’s office to present charges to a Grand Jury for indictment.