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.

“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.

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.

“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.

“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.