Valley News Staff Writers
Published: 5/3/2018 2:12:59 PM
Modified: 5/5/2018 3:00:07 AM
Cornish — Three people died in Cornish on Thursday afternoon when their car collided head-on with an armored truck about a mile north of the railroad crossing on Route 12A.
The investigation is in its preliminary stages, but New Hampshire State Police Sgt. Jayson Almstrom said it appears the driver of the sedan crossed the centerline and hit a Loomis armored transport truck, which was unable to avoid a collision, according to state police.
The Ford Taurus, which is registered in Claremont, according to state police, was traveling northbound at the time of the crash.
“It appears with everything we have on the scene and witness statements that we have collected so far that the gray sedan drifted off into the southbound lane,” Almstrom said at the scene.
The driver of the Loomis truck, Robert Santos, and his one passenger were not injured.
Police are withholding the names of those who died in the collision until next of kin is notified.
Speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors in the crash, Almstrom said.
Members of the state police’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit arrived at the scene on Thursday afternoon and conducted a lengthy investigation.
Route 12A was closed at the railroad crossing in Cornish shortly after 2 p.m. due to the crash, and a detour was in place for several hours.
Trooper Michael McLaughlin is investigating the matter. Those who have information about the crash are urged to call him at 603-223-8493.
Loomis describes itself as the “largest cash distribution network” in the United States, with 9,000 employees and 3,000 vehicles. For security reasons, Almstrom said, he couldn’t say where the truck had come from or where it was headed.
A second Loomis truck arrived on scene Thursday afternoon, and the contents of the damaged truck were transferred over.
Plainfield Police Chief Paul Roberts aided state police on scene. Crews from Cornish, Windsor and Claremont also assisted.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.