Multiple people were injured Friday, Jan. 16, in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of U.S. Route 202 and Perkins Road, prompting a large emergency response and the use of a medical helicopter, authorities said.
The Rindge Fire Department was dispatched at 11:49 a.m. on Jan. 16, 2026, to reports of a motor vehicle collision. Upon arrival, first responders found a Honda minivan in a ditch and a Volkswagen SUV off the roadway in the woods, with a total of six occupants involved, including four juveniles.
According to officials, the driver of the Honda minivan, Sabrina Seppala of Jaffrey, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was flown by UMass LifeFlight to UMass Memorial Medical Center–University Campus in Worcester, Massachusetts. A juvenile passenger in the minivan was also transported to the same hospital by ground ambulance with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the Volkswagen SUV, Ashley Brunelle of Rindge, was taken to Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough with minor injuries. Two juvenile passengers in that vehicle were evaluated at the scene and released to a family member after being determined uninjured.
Fire officials said no occupants were trapped, but all required assistance exiting the vehicles. A landing zone for the medical helicopter was established at the Cathedral of the Pines.
A preliminary investigation by the Rindge Police Department determined the Honda minivan failed to stop at a posted stop sign at the intersection, police said. The crash remains under investigation.
The response included four ambulances and mutual aid from neighboring communities.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Rindge Police Officer Tyler Yoder at 603-899-5009 or tyoder@rindgenh.gov.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to include the names of the drivers of both vehicles.