SPRINGFIELD, N.H. — A Friday morning collision on Interstate 89 involving two vehicles was updated moments later to include several more vehicles after officials believe they all hit the same patch of ice near the Springfield Rest Area.
None of the seven drivers suffered life-threatening injuries as a result, although one person was transferred to the hospital for further evaluation, as noted in a social media post by the Springfield Fire Department.
The incident began about 7:40 a.m. All of the vehicles all slid on ice and spun off the road, Springfield Fire Chief Ian MacMillan said in a phone interview. At least two sets of two cars collided with one another after the fact, but the subsequent accidents were not a result of the first one, so it was not considered a pileup.
All occupants were able to exit their vehicles, including one car that had flipped onto its roof, without assistance, MacMillan said. Two of the seven cars were in good-enough condition to be driven off of the scene, while the others had to be towed. The right lane was closed for about two hours.
The location of the crash was downhill and on a curve, MacMillan said. When the plowed highway snow melted, it caused water to run down the road, freezing into black ice.
“Black ice is hard for folks to think about because it doesn’t look like there’s any issue on the road but it sneaks up on people,” said Enfield Fire Chief Phil Neily.
Neily, whose department also responded to the slide offs on Friday, said speed likely played a role in the number of cars that went off the road.
“I find it very frustrating, the speed people travel at going through an emergency scene,” said Neily.
In New Hampshire, drivers are required to move to the next lane over and slow down when passing emergency-service vehicles on the highway.
Springfield Fire Rescue urges drivers to exercise caution in consideration of winter road conditions, and to move over for emergency vehicles.
CORRECTION: Ian MacMillan is Springfield’s fire chief. A previous version of this story included a misspelling of his last name.