A Jaffrey man was killed in a two-car crash on Route 12 in Marlborough on Wednesday morning, according to New Hampshire State Police.
Donald C. Garfield, 80, of Jaffrey was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
At 10:18 a.m. on Wednesday, troopers responded to a report of a serious crash on Route 12 near Webb Depot Road. Upon arrival, they found the two involved vehicles, a 2019 Ram ProMaster van and a 2021 Nissan Rogue. Both were on fire.
The preliminary investigation determined that the Nissan Rogue, driven by Garfield, was traveling southbound on Route 12 when it veered into the northbound lane, authorities said. The driver of the Ram van, Jose Manuel Camacho Quintana, 33, of Fitchburg, was traveling northbound and swerved left to avoid a crash. At the same time, Garfield swerved back to correct his vehicle, resulting in a head-on collision.
Officers from the Troy and Swanzey police departments arrived first and used fire extinguishers to control the fires. Several good Samaritans helped locate and bring additional fire extinguishers to the scene and help Quintana out of his van.
More troopers from the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit, along with members of the Marlborough Police and Fire Departments, the Swanzey Police Department, the Troy Police Department, the Keene Fire Department, Cheshire County EMS and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, assisted at the scene. Route 12 was closed for about five and a half hours for the investigation and scene cleanup.
The crash is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Paul Bergeron at (603) 223-3879 or Paul.J.Bergeron@dos.nh.gov.