A motorcyclist died early Thursday after losing control on the Interstate 93 southbound on-ramp near Exit 17 in Concord, New Hampshire, sending the rider off the motorcycle as it came to rest near a guardrail. Troopers were called to the scene just after 4:30 a.m., and the crash shut down the ramp for hours as investigators worked to piece together what happened.
The rider was on a 2019 Harley-Davidson Road Glide traveling on the on-ramp when the motorcycle went over the cement curbing and through the grassy shoulder before coming to rest on its side near a guardrail, according to Boston 25 News. The crash threw the rider off the bike, and Good Samaritans at the scene attempted life-saving procedures before first responders arrived. The motorcyclist was taken to a local hospital, where the injuries proved fatal.
The southbound Exit 17 on-ramp was closed for roughly three hours Thursday morning while state troopers conducted their crash investigation, according to The Pulse of NH. That stretch of I-93 is a key northern Concord corridor, linking the interstate to U.S. Route 4 and nearby communities including Penacook and Boscawen.
Investigation Underway, Identity Withheld
New Hampshire State Police are investigating the fatal crash and have withheld the motorcyclist's identity pending notification of next of kin, per Boston 25 News. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Zachary Bilotta at (603) 223-4381, according to the New Hampshire State Police. The circumstances surrounding the motorcycle's departure from the ramp remain under investigation.
The crash falls under the jurisdiction of State Police Troop D, headquartered in Concord, which handles highway enforcement across Merrimack County, Hoodline previously reported. The injured rider was transported to a local hospital. Concord Hospital is an ACS-verified Level II Trauma Center that runs the busiest emergency department in New Hampshire, according to information from Concord Hospital.
A Pattern of Fatal Crashes on New Hampshire Roads
Thursday's death adds to a grim tally for the state. New Hampshire recorded 30 motorcycle deaths in 2025, according to New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety records. State officials have also cited federal data showing the nationwide fatality rate for motorcyclists per mile traveled is roughly 27 times higher than for passenger car occupants.
New Hampshire remains one of only three states without a universal helmet law for adult riders; under state law, protective headgear is required only for motorcycle operators and passengers under 18. New Hampshire Department of Transportation records show that 31 of the 37 motorcycle operators killed in 2023 crashes, and 18 of the 33 motorcycle fatalities in 2024, were not wearing helmets. It is not known whether the rider killed Thursday was wearing a helmet.
State rules require officers investigating a crash involving injury or death to file an official Uniform Police Traffic Accident Report with the Division of Motor Vehicles. Hoodline previously reported on an earlier Salisbury-Warner crash involving a 58-year-old Belmont man in late August; Charles McWilliams never reported it, and investigators did not specify how much time passed before troopers were called.
