Connect with us

New Hampshire

Will NH put median barriers on I-95? Nearly 100 fatalities on state’s major roads in 2024

Published

on

Will NH put median barriers on I-95? Nearly 100 fatalities on state’s major roads in 2024


The New Hampshire Department of Transportation is weighing whether to install median barriers on Interstate 95, a consideration coming days after a double fatal car crash in Greenland on the major highway.

The two-car accident that left two people dead Wednesday afternoon and sent a third person to a local hospital remains under investigation by New Hampshire State Police. Data provided by a state police spokesperson shows fatal car accidents in New Hampshire this year are roughly equal to fatal crashes that occurred in 2023.

Jennifer Lane, spokesperson for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, said the state has been contemplating putting in median barriers along the roadway, though no plans have been finalized. 

Lane stated in a Friday interview there is no timeline for a potential decision, nor any cost estimates.

Advertisement

“In light of the recent serious crashes involving vehicles crossing the median, we are considering further safety measures, including the installation of median barriers,” she added in a prepared statement. “However, at this time, no specific plans or funding have been established for these improvements. NHDOT remains committed to monitoring safety along I-95 and all of our roadways to ensure the well-being of the traveling public.”

More: Youth driving deaths surge 400% in NH. What police are doing about it.

In the Wednesday crash, Steve Le, 24, of Methuen, Massachusetts lost control of his vehicle, crossed over the median into the opposite lanes and struck a southbound 2019 Ford Econoline. Le and the Ford operator, Leslie Lynn, a 58-year-old from Roanoke, Virginia, were both declared dead at the scene and traffic was slowed for hours, according to state police.

A passenger in Lynn’s vehicle was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries, state police previously reported.

Advertisement

Tyler Dumont, spokesperson for New Hampshire State Police, did not have any updates Friday.

“The investigation is ongoing,” he said.

New Hampshire studied I-95 median barriers in 2012

Lane said the department has been considering putting median barriers in place since long before the deadly collision in Greenland. 

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation evaluated Interstate 95 and other highways in the Granite State for potential median barrier installation in a 2012 study. The department ultimately determined the interstate did not need median barriers at the time, though the study found the Seacoast area had one of the higher motorist accident rates in the state.

The Department of Transportation undertook the study before roadway improvements “in order to help eliminate the potential of ‘crossover’ accidents on divided highways with medians 30 to 50 feet in width,” the 2012 findings state.

Advertisement

“The purpose of this study was to identify potential areas for improvement and to develop a prioritized list of recommendations in the form of a matrix,” Lane’s statement added.

Driving deaths in the Seacoast on Interstate 95 are not uncommon. In late February, a California woman was killed near the Portsmouth-Greenland line when the northbound car she was riding in lost control, rolled over and ended up in the breakdown lane of the southbound lanes. The driver of the vehicle was transported to Portsmouth Regional Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

New Hampshire State Police recorded 96 fatal crashes on the state’s major roadways for the year through Monday, Oct. 14, only four less than the same period last year. Those statistics were compiled prior to the double fatal incident in Greenland on Wednesday.

Available data from state police shows 105 people have been killed in those 96 fatal crashes for the year until Oct. 14. That includes 47 motor vehicle operators, nine of whom were under 21 years of age, according to New Hampshire State Police.

State police recorded 119 fatal motor vehicle crashes on the state’s major roadways in all of 2023, resulting in 127 deaths. In 2022, there were a total of 146 people that died from 137 fatal motor vehicle crashes on New Hampshire State Police-patrolled roads.

Advertisement

“It’s always on our minds,” Lane said in a Friday interview of potentially adding median barriers. “There’s always room for improvement. The study was done in 2012. A lot has changed.”

“Drive the speed limit, pay attention and be aware of your surroundings,” she urged drivers.

New Hampshire is the lone state in the nation to not require adults to wear seatbelts in the front seat of vehicles, though children are required to. Adult motorcyclists in New Hampshire are not required to wear helmets. Since July 2015, the state’s “hands free” law has banned all motorists from using their cell phone or other handheld electronic device while driving.



Source link

Advertisement

New Hampshire

2 Hudson, NH, residents arrested after cats found abandoned

Published

on

2 Hudson, NH, residents arrested after cats found abandoned


HUDSON, N.H. — An animal cruelty investigation led to the arrest of two former tenants who police say left three cats behind in the apartment they were evicted from.

The Hudson Police Department said officers responded to 19 Oliver Drive on Nov. 25 after the town’s animal control officer received a report that multiple cats had been left behind in an apartment previously occupied by Faith Byers, 48, and Kevin Greene, 57.

The pair had reportedly been evicted a week earlier, on Nov. 18.

Police said that attempts to reach Byers and Greene by phone were unsuccessful, and the property owner later confirmed that the two had moved out without taking the cats or arranging for their care.

Advertisement

With the owner’s permission, police entered the apartment and found three cats alone inside the unoccupied residence.

Police said they determined the cats had been left unattended for several days in conditions lacking adequate airflow, sunlight, litter and consistent access to food or water. Police added that no care plan had been made for the animals, and neither former tenant indicated any intention to return for them.

The animals were safely removed and transported to the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire in Bedford, where they are now receiving care.

Arrest warrants were issued for Byers and Greene, who are each charged with one count of cruelty to animals, a Class A misdemeanor. They were arrested on Friday and released on personal recognizance bail.

They are scheduled to appear in 9th Circuit Court Nashua District Division at 1 p.m. April 28.

Advertisement

Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.



Source link

Continue Reading

New Hampshire

Pakistan hosts diplomatic discussions on ending war

Published

on

Pakistan hosts diplomatic discussions on ending war


Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will meet in Islamabad today in an attempt to come up with a plan to de-escalate the Iran war.

The meeting comes as several thousand more U.S. troops arrived in the region and after another group got involved in the expanding conflict: Yemen’s Houthis.

The Iran-backed Houthis launched missiles towards Israel, and there’s concern their involvement could threaten another vital global shipping lane in the Red Sea.

Here are more updates on day 30 of the Iran war.

Advertisement

Diplomacy Push in Pakistan

The four foreign ministers from regional powers will meet in Islamabad today and Monday for a push towards diplomacy to end the war.

In a statement ahead of the meeting, the Egyptian government said: “Discussions are expected to focus on recent developments related to regional military escalation and ongoing diplomatic efforts to contain tensions and promote de-escalation.”

“The talks come amid heightened concerns about regional stability, with participating countries seeking to coordinate their stances and support political solutions to emerging crises,” it added.

Whether whatever consensus the countries known as “the quad” come up with will be accepted by the US, Israel, and Iran is another question.

Pakistan has emerged as a possible peace-broker in the conflict, passing messages between the U.S. and Tehran. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Saturday that “dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the only way forward.”

Advertisement

Dar also welcomed the fact Iran has agreed to allow 20 Pakistan-flagged ships – or two a day – through the Strait of Hormuz.

Houthis enter war

Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen launched the first missile they have fired since the war began toward Israel on Saturday. Israel’s military successfully intercepted it but the Houthis’ attack opens another front in a war that has now moved into its second month.

Up until Saturday’s missile launch the Houthis had stayed out of this war. But a Houthi spokesman said attacks will continue until “the aggression on all resistance fronts stops.”

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AP

/

Advertisement

AP

In this photo released by the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, left, meets with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, March 29, 2026.

The Yemen-based rebels were active during Israel’s war in Gaza, firing on cargo ships in the Red Sea and disrupting global commercial traffic.

With Iran essentially blockading the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global oil prices, there are concerns that if the Houthis start attacking ships in the Red Sea again global shipping will be even more disrupted.

Iran also hit multiple sites around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Saturday and Israel’s military says Iran is increasingly using cluster bombs.

Designed to detonate at high altitude the munition disperses dozens of smaller bombs that are more challenging for Israel’s multi-layered air defense system to intercept and can cause damage over a wider area.

Advertisement

Dozens of countries have signed onto a cluster munitions treaty banning the weapons – except Iran, Israel and the U.S.

Iran threatens U.S. universities in region

Iranian authorities and residents say more airstrikes hit them overnight. Social media videos from across Iran showed strikes hitting all over the country.

Israel’s military said it had completed what it called a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting weapons production and storage sites.

Iran claims U.S.-Israeli strikes hit a Tehran university over the weekend and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened American university campuses in the Middle East in retaliation.

“We advise all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas” to stay a kilometer away from campuses, the statement, carried by Iranian media, said.

Advertisement

Several US universities have campuses in the Gulf, including New York University in the United Arab Emirates and Texas A&M University, among others, in Qatar.

Meanwhile, Iran continues to fire drones and missiles at Gulf countries, with Kuwait saying it was intercepting missile and drone attacks early Sunday. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed ten drones.

Iran also claimed it had attacked two major aluminium sites in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Emirates Global Aluminium confirmed an Iranian attack wounded several and caused significant damage to its plant.

U.S. Troops injured, more arrive

At least 15 U.S. service members were wounded Friday in an Iranian strike on a Saudi air base that hosts American troops, according to the Associated Press, including at least five in serious condition. The missile and drone strikes targeted Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base, located outside the capital Riyadh.

A first responder assists an injured boy following a strike that hit a residential building amid the U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, March 28, 2026.
A first responder assists an injured boy following a strike that hit a residential building amid the U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Iran has targeted U.S. service members at bases throughout the region since the war began a month ago, in retaliation for the U.S. attacks and seeking to drive troops out of the region. Overall, the Pentagon has put the U.S. casualty toll at 13 killed and more than 300 injured.

Advertisement

On Saturday, troops from the Japan-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, made up of around 3,500 sailors and Marines, arrived in the Middle East, according to U.S. Central Command.

The U.S. military will not say where and how they might be deployed. Thousands more soldiers from the U.S. military’s 82nd Airborne Division are also expected to be deployed.

Journalists killed in Lebanon

Three Lebanese journalists covering the Israeli invasion of the country’s south were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Jezzine.

Women hold posters showing Al-Mayadeen TV reporter Fatima Ftouni, left, and, in another poster, Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV correspondent Ali Shoeib, center, and cameraman Ali Ftouni during their funeral at a temporary cemetery in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, March 29, 2026.
Women hold posters showing Al-Mayadeen TV reporter Fatima Ftouni, left, and, in another poster, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV correspondent Ali Shoeib, center, and cameraman Ali Ftouni during their funeral at a temporary cemetery in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, March 29, 2026.

One of them worked for a TV channel affiliated with Hezbollah and Israel accuses him of being a militant rather than a journalist – but has not provided evidence. The journalist Israel says it targeted was Ali Shaeb, a veteran TV correspondent and household name in Lebanon. After killing him, Israel’s military issued a statement accusing him of exposing the locations of Israeli troops.

The other two journalists killed were siblings, TV correspondent Fatima Ftouni and her cameraman brother, Mohammed Ftouni. Afterward their father appeared on TV, saying he was proud of his children.

Advertisement

All three had been covering Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon.

Lebanese officials called the attack a flagrant violation of international law, and said they’re complaining to the UN Security Council. Hundreds of fellow journalists marched at a protest vigil in Lebanon’s capital.

The three journalists were among at least 47 people killed Saturday in Israeli attacks, according to Lebanese health officials.

Nine of those killed were paramedics, which the head of the World Health Organization called “a tragedy,” noting health workers are protected under international law.

Residents inspect their home after it was struck by an Iranian missile in Eshtaol, central Israel, Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Residents inspect their home after it was struck by an Iranian missile in Eshtaol, central Israel, Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Israel has intensified its attacks across Lebanon, mostly in the South, where Israeli ground troops are moving northward to try to oust Hezbollah militants.

Advertisement

Another Israeli soldier was also killed in Lebanon, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing his condolences on X over the weekend.

Developments in Syria, Iraq

The war is spreading to more parts of the Middle East. On Sunday, Syria said it had intercepted a drone strike from Iraq targeting a U.S. military base. Pro-Iran Iraqi groups have claimed responsibility for some attacks on US interests.

Separately, the Syrian and UAE governments condemned an attack targeting the residence of the Kurdish region’s president Nechirvan Barzani.

French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the attack saying: “The sovereignty of Iraq, and of Kurdistan within it, is essential to regional stability. Everything must be done to prevent Iraq from being drawn into the ongoing escalation.”

On Sunday, the Israeli army said it had launched its “first” attack into Lebanon from Syria.

Advertisement

Jane Arraf in Amman, Emily Feng in Van, Turkey, Lauren Frayer in Jezzine, Lebanon, Carrie Khan in Tel Aviv, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to this report.

Copyright 2026 NPR





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

New Hampshire

Abandoned Camper Fire On South Main Street Knocked Down By Concord Fire And Rescue Teams

Published

on

Abandoned Camper Fire On South Main Street Knocked Down By Concord Fire And Rescue Teams


CONCORD, NH — The Concord Fire Department is investigating the cause of a camper fire on South Main Street late Friday night.

Around 11:30 p.m., fire and rescue teams were sent to South Main Street, not far from Langdon Avenue, for a report of a camper on fire. Dispatch said it was unknown if anyone was inside or if the camper was abandoned.

“We have a couple of calls on it,” a dispatcher said. “It’s fully involved.”

A few minutes later, the fire was confirmed, and firefighters worked to extinguish it. The battalion commander confirmed no one was inside, and it appeared to be abandoned. Dispatch said, if they recalled correctly, the camper had been there for “quite a while.”

Advertisement

News 603 posted videos from the scene on Facebook here:

And here:

The bulk of the fire was knocked down after about 20 minutes, with firefighters overhauling and dealing with “the hot spots.”

Advertisement

Not long after the overhaul update, firefighters were sent to a business on South Main Street, near the camper fire, in response to a report of an alarm activation.

After investigating, there did not appear to be an activation at the business, a commander said. Later, dispatch said the alarm appeared to restore itself automatically. Firefighters cleared the scene of the business alarm just after midnight on Saturday.





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending