A fiery crash at the tollbooth on Interstate 95 in Hampton, New Hampshire, on Saturday afternoon left a Maine man with serious injuries and caused delays on the highway.
New Hampshire State Police say troopers responded to a report of a crash at the Hampton Toll Plaza around 4:11 p.m. and found a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck fully engulfed in flames.
The driver of the pickup, identified as 43-year-old Patrick Jones, of South Portland, Maine, suffered serious injuries in the wreck and was taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital for treatment. The only passenger, a child, was not hurt but was taken to a local hospital as a precaution, police said.
A preliminary investigation shows that just before the crash, the truck was approaching the Hampton Toll Plaza on the northbound side of I-95 when Jones suddenly changed lanes. The pickup then hit a concrete abutment next to a tollbooth and went airborne before crashing and catching fire.
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A toll attendant, who was inside the adjacent tollbooth at the time of the crash, was not hurt, police said.
Multiple lanes at the tolls were closed while firefighters worked to extinguish the fire. State police initially said on X that all cash lanes were closed on I-95 northbound due to the crash, and that drivers should anticipate delays and avoid the area if possible.
Just before 6:30 p.m., state police said the interstate had fully reopened.
Local
Hampton Fire/Rescue said they were tied up on I-95 at the main toll plaza for a motor vehicle crash/vehicle fire. Photos shared on their Facebook page showed the vehicle fully engulfed in flames, with thick, black smoke billowing into the clear, blue sky.
Other photos showed the aftermath, with a burned out vehicle missing a roof.
The Hampton Police Department also assisted at the scene and had urged caution at the area of side tolls from Route 101 to I-95 due to the single vehicle crash into the tolls.
All aspects of the crash remain under investigation, however police said impairment is not suspected to be a factor.
Anyone who may have additional information about the crash and has not already spoken with investigators is asked to contact Trooper Philip Sheehy at Philip.J.Sheehy@dos.nh.gov.
