Milton, NH – A 77-year-old Portsmouth man was killed, and a 67-year-old West Ossipee man was seriously injured after a head-on crash early Friday morning on Route 16 in Milton.
According to New Hampshire State Police, the crash happened at about 4:36 a.m. near mile marker 32.4, just north of the stretch between exits 17 and 18. Troopers from the Troop A barracks arrived to find two heavily damaged vehicles, a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta and a 2024 Nissan Kicks, in opposite breakdown lanes.
Investigators said Edward Correia of Portsmouth had been driving the Volkswagen northbound in the southbound lanes when he collided with a Nissan driven by Jeremiah Coleman of West Ossipee. Police reported receiving a call about a vehicle traveling the wrong way just minutes before the crash. The cause of Correia’s travel into the wrong lane remains under investigation.
Authorities said Correia was not wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene. Coleman suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The section of Route 16 where the crash occurred has no barriers separating northbound and southbound lanes, police said. The road remained closed for about three hours while first responders worked the scene. Emergency crews from Milton, Farmington, Wakefield, and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation assisted troopers.
State Police said all aspects of the crash remain under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Shane McClure at Shane.M.McClure@dos.nh.gov.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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