HOOKSETT, N.H. (WHDH) — A tire flew off a tractor trailer and caused a deadly crash on I-93 Wednesday afternoon in New Hampshire. The truck driver drove away, creating a statewide search which ended in Maine and claimed the life of a 40-year-old woman.
The crash happened in an instant when a wheel broke free from a truck traveling on South 93 in Hooksett just before the tolls. The runaway wheel first crashed into an unmarked state police cruiser driven by Colonel Robert Quinn, who was headed to work north on the highway.
“He called in and said he had an accident and that he needed assistance and he gave us, you know, basically a description of how serious the accident was,” said Major Russell Conte, NH State Police.
After the wheel hit the colonel's cruiser, it was hurled back into the southbound lanes and slammed through the windshield of an SUV. That driver, a 40-year-old woman from Concord, New Hampshire was killed. The truck driver never stopped. Police were quickly able to release a picture of the truck hauling a modular home and within five hours of the fatal crash, it's location in Maine.
“We will interview every witness that we can find, so that we can make a final determination as to what happened here and what should be done about it” said Scott Murray, county attorney.
A terrifying scenario that has investigators looking for answers.
“The reality is this is a freak occurrence. It is unfortunately a piece of equipment that flew off the truck and the rest of it is left to, why did that happen,” said Conte.
Right now the county attorney says he's tried to get that truck brought back from Maine to New Hampshire and also want to interview the driver about what he knows about this fatal crash and then they'll determine whether or not any charges will be filed.