The victim that died in the car accident that closed a section of Interstate 95 in New Hampshire on Wednesday night has been identified by police. According to New Hampshire State Police, they were called to a head-on collision on I-95 north in Portsmouth about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, right before the Route 16 north split.
When troopers arrived, they discovered that a Ford Escape had crossed the median from the southbound side of I-95 and collided head-on with a northbound Toyota Camry.
Police said that the driver of the Ford Escape, Arlen Brown, 68, of Sabattus, Maine, was pronounced deceased after being transported by ambulance from the scene to Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
Police also identified the driver of the Toyota Camry as Jessica Emerson, a 25-year-old Berwick, Maine resident, who was taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital via ambulance. Despite her severe injuries, the police thought she should live.
Neither car carried any passengers. For almost two hours, all lanes of I-95 north were closed to allow for the crash investigation and debris removal.
Portsmouth police and fire, the state Department of Transportation, and two local tow firms all aided state police on the scene. The cause of the crash is still being investigated, and state police are urging anybody who witnessed it to phone Trooper Patrick Vetter at 603-271-3636.
