KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A serious motor vehicle accident involving a tractor-trailer and a car early this morning shut down Route East near Route 10 in Keene for several hours.
Emergency services were alerted to the crash shortly after 2 a.m., according to a news release from the Keene Fire Department.
The first responders, including Keene Fire and Rescue, Cheshire County EMS (CCEMS), and mutual aid units from Swanzey, arrived on the scene.
Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a Subaru Legacy fully engulfed in flames, with its driver, identified as Margaret Batchelder, 36, of Plymouth, lying outside the vehicle, according to Keene police.
Keene police officers had already pulled her away from the burning wreckage, likely saving her life. Batchelder was immediately provided life-saving care and transported to Cheshire Medical Center with serious injuries. Due to poor weather, air transport was unavailable.
The crash occurred when Batchelder, who was driving south on Route 10, reportedly failed to stop at a stop sign at the Route 10 and Route 9 intersection. Her vehicle then collided with an eastbound tractor-trailer, driven by Adam Engelhart, 37, of Troy. After the collision, Batchelder’s car caught fire. While the car was destroyed, the contents of the tractor-trailer remained undamaged, and Engelhart declined medical treatment after being evaluated at the scene.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the vehicle fire and contain leaking fluids from the tractor-trailer to prevent additional hazards. The road remained closed for several hours as crews cleared debris and completed their investigation. The Keene Fire Department reported the Subaru as a total loss.
Keene police were assisted on the scene by the Keene Fire Department, New Hampshire State Police and the NH DOT.
Keene police have launched an investigation into the collision, and the Keene Police Collision Analysis Team is leading the inquiry. The department is asking for anyone who witnessed the crash or saw the vehicles before the collision to contact Detective/Lieutenant Chidester at 357-9813.
