Truck driver sneeze closes I-93

NEW HAMPTON — A driver of a tractor trailer truck who sneezed caused a collision with another truck, resulting in a fire that engulfed both rigs and temporarily closed a stretch of Interstate 93 late Wednesday morning, State Police reported.

The accident occurred about 11:08 a.m. in the northbound lane of I-93, south of Exit 23 in New Hampton.

The magnitude of the fire prompted a second-alarm response, bringing firefighters and equipment from New Hampton, and seven neighboring fire departments.

Both vehicles were fully ablaze when State Police arrived on the scene.

According to a State Police statement released to the media, a truck had broken down and was parked in the right breakdown lane. Another rig, driven by Andre Cassidy, 61, of Windsor, Quebec, was traveling north when Cassidy sneezed and veered across the fog line, striking the disabled truck.

The busy divided highway was closed for nearly 1½ hours. Traffic was diverted off I-93 at Exit 22 in Sanbornton while the highway was shut down.

Cassidy was driving a 2017 International owned by Division TM Transport of Thetford Mines, Quebec, State Police said.

State Police did not identify the driver of the disabled truck.

The northbound travel lane remained shut down for several hours until the vehicles could be removed from the scene. Cassidy was cited for crossing a solid line.

Seven fire engines and two ambulances were dispatched to the scene, according to New Hampton Deputy Fire Chief Levin Lang. He said both drivers received minor injuries. They were evaluated at the scene and both refused ambulance transport to a hospital.

Cassidy was cited for crossing a solid line, State Police said.

The first firefighters arrived on the scene at 11:26 a.m. The fire was brought under control at 12:15 p.m. The last of the firefighting crews left the accident scene at 2:21 p.m., Lang said.

Lang described one of the trucks as a semi tractor trailer box truck, and the other as a six-wheel box truck.

State Police were assisted at the scene by New Hampton and Sanbornton Police, New Hampton, Sanbornton and Franklin fire departments, and the state Department of Transportation, and Department of Environmental Services.