Three people are dead and a fourth is seriously injured after two motorcycles collided head-on late Saturday night on Route 3 in Laconia, New Hampshire, near the popular Funspot arcade and the Looney Bin Bar and Grill. The crash happened around 11 p.m. as the motorcycles traveled in opposite directions along Route 3, according to preliminary police investigations.
Laconia Police Chief Matthew Canfield identified the two deceased operators as Cameron Mosher of Dennis, Massachusetts, and Miles Collette of Gilford, New Hampshire, according to Infonh. A deceased passenger was identified as Jeanine Fereshetian of Laconia, New Hampshire. A fourth victim, a female passenger, was medevacked via DHART helicopter to Concord Hospital with serious injuries, per the same report. Boston 25 News published photos from the scene and confirmed the death toll of three.
The impact of the collision was severe enough that one of the motorcycles caught fire, according to Concord Patch. Three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, the outlet reported. A post from the Lakes Region Emergency Facebook page described the same chaotic scene along Route 3 near the Looney Bin.
Route 3 Shut Down for Hours Overnight
The crash forced the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to close Route 3 in Laconia for roughly eight hours overnight, reopening the highway early Sunday morning, according to The Pulse of NH. The highway reopened early Sunday morning.
Investigators have confirmed the direction of travel and the identities of those involved, but official findings on speed, impairment, or lane departure remain pending. No cause has yet been determined for why the two motorcycles ended up colliding head-on.
New Hampshire's Helmet Law Gap
New Hampshire's motorcycle helmet law is discussed by Citizens Count. That leaves New Hampshire as one of only three states, alongside Illinois and Iowa, without a universal helmet mandate, and state legislative efforts to enact a mandatory adult helmet law have repeatedly failed.
Helmet use is also discussed in connection with motorcycle operators killed in state traffic crashes.
A Community Still Mourning
The fatal collision left three people dead in Laconia.
The crash underscores the risks motorcycles face along Route 3.
The broader traffic-safety picture remains a concern.
Saturday's crash near Funspot and the Looney Bin adds another chapter to that grim tally, with three more lives lost on a road that has repeatedly proven dangerous for riders.
