Recent Snowstorms Cause Multiple Accidents

Emergency personnel in Londonderry reported last week’s snowstorm caused a number of cars to drive off the roads, but no significant incidents.

Londonderry Fire Battalion Chief Mike McQuillen said the Fire Department received 29 calls through dispatch on Friday, Feb. 5, between 3:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., many of which were storm related.

“We had some car accidents on the interstate and town roads, as well as some slips and falls,” he said of Friday’s storm. We had quite a few transports, but no major injuries.”

Local Fire crews temporarily closed the high-speed lane on Interstate 93 in Londonderry during the Friday storm due to a two-car crash. Crews responded to the incident at 2:18 p.m. and re-opened the travel lane by 3:13 p.m., according to Battalion Chief Fred Heinrich. An ambulance transported one person to Elliot Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

No major power outages were reported by Eversource, but some residents in the area of Spruce Street reported they lost power.

The snow started back up on Monday, Feb. 8, just before Primary voting in the Granite State.

Police and Fire personnel responded to a serious accident on Hovey Road, which left the driver in critical condition (see above story).

Ambulances transported two other passengers for treatment of minor injuries.

McQuillen said the department was busy responding to the crash, as well as a number of other minor accidents, but that no one else was transported during the Feb. 8 storm.

The storms are the second and third major snow events the Town has experienced in this year’s mild winter.

Schools were closed on Feb. 5 to facilitate snow removal, but the School District’s Deliberative Session went on as scheduled that evening.

Public Works Director Janusz Czyzowski said crews started clearing the roads around 3 a.m. Feb. 5 and worked through the day. They were called back out the following morning around 4 a.m. when the roads started to freeze.

Czyzowski said they were surprised to see about nine inches of snow fall in Londonderry, having expected between three and five inches.

Public Works crews started clearing the roads around noon Monday and worked through the night to ensure roads were clear before the polls opened. “The roads were pretty good by 2 a.m.,” Czyzowski said on Election Day. Czyzowski said the Department is in good shape with regard to sand and salt.