This story has been changed from its original version. Due to a memorial service for one of the crash victims, Tom Thelen’s presentation has been rescheduled to a date yet to be determined. It will be live-streamed when it does occur.

Within 16 hours on Friday and Saturday, the Monadnock region was rocked by the loss of four young people in three separate motor vehicle crashes, with an additional three people injured.

Damien Cronan, 17, of Antrim; Devin Lundgren, 21, of New Ipswich; James Barna, 18, of Sharon; and Nolan Trottier, 21, of Francestown, died in the crashes.

Cronan was a student at ConVal Regional High School, and Barna a recent former student.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for the ConVal community. The loss of a current student, as well as a former student, deeply affects us all, leaving a lasting impact on our hearts and minds,” said ConVal Principal Heather McKillop.

Francestown Fire Chief Larry Kullgren, who responded to the Francestown crash, said the loss of young life, particularly so many this weekend, is a hard blow.

“It hits harder when it’s the younger population,” Kullgren said. “Any loss of life is certainly unacceptable, but it’s hard when it’s that age group, teens to young adult.”

In Dublin, where Cronan was killed, Police Chief Tim Suokko said that in his 18 years on the force, four deaths over the course of a single weekend is unprecedented.

“I can’t remember a weekend this bad, ever,” Suokko said. “It’s never good when anyone dies, but it’s especially tragic when you have these young kids whose lives haven’t even begun yet.”

Kullgren said the area has had to respond to several recent tragedies, to the point that he questioned over the past weekend whether the state was reaching an all-time high, despite being only three-quarters of the way through the year. According to the New Hampshire State Police, 99 people have been killed in crashes so far this year, compared to 127 people last year and 146 in 2022.

Suokko said that is still a big number.

“It’s not good,” he said. “People aren’t paying attention; they’re not obeying speed limits. It seems to be not slowing down.”

The fatal crashes have New Hampshire State Police urging drivers to slow down and take more caution behind the wheel. In a Facebook reel posted onto the State Police Facebook shortly after the crashes, Lt. Chris Storm urged more care.

“In the last 24 hours, we’ve lost several individuals on New Hampshire roadways. The New Hampshire State Police asks that you please slow down, pay attention and do not drive impaired,” Storm said. Speed, distracted driving and impairment are leading causes of crashes among young drivers. “Together, we can make New Hampshire a safer place to live and drive.”

Suokko also urged people to take more caution behind the wheel.

“Slow down, drive responsibly, and speed limit signs are not suggestions,” Suokko said. “There’s a reason they exist.”

Kullgren said that in small communities, crashes like the one he responded to on Saturday are rare, but sometimes it doesn’t feel that way.

“There may have been years we’ve lost more people, but it seems like a tremendous amount in the most recent past,” Kullgren said. “We’re a small community, with a population of under 1,500, and we don’t see a lot of severe accidents – a fatality doesn’t happen very often. We always look at how these could have been prevented.”

ConVal student diesin crash; two otherteens injured

Cronan was killed in a crash in Dublin Friday afternoon, and two other teens were injured, according to a release issued by the Dublin Police Department.

According to the statement, which did not name any of the minors involved, police responded at approximately 12:30 p.m. to a reported single-vehicle crash on Perry Pasture Road. The vehicle was reported to have gone off the road and into a tree, and it was initially reported that there were two people in the vehicle, trapped and unconscious. When police arrived, a 16-year-old girl from Peterborough, who had been a passenger in the car, was out of the vehicle and walking around. Police were able to observe two other teens in the heavily damaged vehicle, including the driver, Cronan, and a 16-year-old boy from Antrim, who was injured.

Peterborough’s rescue apparatus was the first one on the scene, according to Fire Chief Ed Walker, who said it was clear right away that “the driver was non-viable.” A male who was in the vehicle, a pickup truck was taken to Elliot Hospital in Manchester after being extricated, Walker said, and then transported to Boston for treatment. The female who got herself out of the vehicle reported the crash, and provided updates with her cellphone in advance of the first-responders’ arrival.

“The road was wet at the time of the crash,” Walker said.

Suokko did not have additional information about the passengers’ condition as of Monday morning.

Suokko was the first responder on the scene, and said that while speed was clearly the big contributing factor, the investigation is ongoing.

“People need to slow down,” he said. “People are not obeying the speed limit. We have people going 40 mph through the school zone at [Dublin Consolidated School] when the lights are on,” he said. The speed limit passing the Dublin Consolidated School is 20 mph when flashing.

The speed limit in Perry Pasture Road is not posted, but Suokko said that when not posted, the speed limit on all town roads is 35 mph, and that “The vehicle on that road was going well over 35.”

Bill LaPierre lives across the street from the accident location on Perry Pasture Road.

“I didn’t hear the impact. There don’t appear to be any skid marks leading toward the site,” LaPierre said. “Farther back on this road is a nasty bend, at Mossey Road, which is a much-sharper turn.”

A meeting for all first-responders involved in the incident was scheduled for Monday evening in Dublin. This is not a public session, Walker said, but rather a debriefing for individuals who encountered the scene.

“After something like that, responders are going through something that they may not even realize they’re going through. They’ll have problems eating and sleeping because of what they’ve been involved in,” he said.

Walker stressed that the reactions of all individuals involved in the matter could vary.

“They will be experiencing normal reactions to a very abnormal situation,” he said.

Anyone with information about the crash should contact the Dublin Police Department at 603-563-8411.

Dublin Police and Fire were assisted on the scene by the Harrisville Police Department, Jaffrey Police Department and Peterborough Fire and Rescue.

Two dead, oneseriously injuredin New Ipswich crash

Lundgren and Barna were pronounced dead at the scene of a two-car crash Saturday at the intersection of Turnpike Road and Temple Road, while Samuel Wheeler, 36, of Greenville suffered serious injuries and was taken by medical helicopter to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

According to a press release issued by the New Hampshire State Police, at about 12:05 a.m., officers responded to the report of the crash. Preliminary investigation shows that a 1996 Honda Del Sol, driven by Lundgren, was traveling north on Turnpike Road when the vehicle collided with a 2015 Dodge Ram that was traveling south and attempting to make a left-hand turn. Barna was Lundgren’s passenger in the Honda.

While speed appears to be a factor, all aspects of the crash remain under investigation, according to police.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has information is asked to contact Trooper Isaiah Acquaye at isaiah.j.acquaye@dos.nh.gov or 603-223-4381.

Driver killed in single-car crash in Francestown

At approximately 4:15 a.m. on Saturday morning, officers from State Police Troop B responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash on Route 136 in Francestown. The crash was reported by a passerby, who was unable to assist the driver, as the vehicle had caught fire.

Kullgren said the Fire Department was dispatched for a report of a motor vehicle fire, with a person trapped. When he arrived at the scene, he found the car fully involved, Kullgren said.

A preliminary investigation showed that the driver, Trottier, was driving on Route 136 when the vehicle left the road and collided head-on with a tree. Trottier was pronounced dead at the scene. He did not have any passengers.

The Francestown Fire Department put out the fire, and stood by for the investigation and the removal of the vehicle. Kullgren said due to the extend of the damage, it was difficult to determine the exact ignition point of the fire, but it’s likely it ignited in the engine compartment upon impact.

“It’s tragic to say the least,” Kullgren said. “He was within six minutes of being in his own bed. He was almost home.”

Route 136 was closed in the area of the crash for approximately two hours while emergency personnel conducted the investigation. The road was reopened at approximately 7 a.m. Members of the New Boston Police Department and the Francestown Fire Department assisted at the scene.

All aspects of the crash remain under investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Alexander Guilbeault at alexander.r.guilbeault@dos.nh.gov or 603-223-4381.

Community comes together in the wake of tragedies

“It will be tough moving forward at ConVal,” Walker said. “Kids will look at empty desks next to theirs. Teachers of specific classes in which students studied should be contacted. Any student who’s a sophomore or older knew the young man (who died).”

A statement issued by interim ConVal Superintendent Ann Forrest and McKillop shared that the district is taking proactive steps to provide support for the student population impacted by the deaths, including having a team of counselors and comfort dogs in the building on Monday.

This will include counseling services from the Disaster Behavioral Health Response Team, under the direction of the state Department of Health and Human Services, and therapy dogs from Cold Springs Healing Paws in New Ipswich to offer comfort and support.

“In addition to the internal support within our district, I want to extend my gratitude to the counselors from the Disaster Behavioral Health Response Team, the therapy dogs from Cold Springs Healing Paws in New Ipswich and other community partners who have generously provided support on campus today and throughout the week. Their compassion and care are helping us navigate this challenging time together.” McKillop stated.

“Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this tragedy,” stated Forrest. “This is a profound moment for our school community, and it’s essential that we come together to support one another in the days ahead.”

McKillop encouraged parents and guardians to talk with their children about their emotions and experiences and to help them access the support they may need during this time.

“The loss of a friend or classmate can be deeply traumatic, and we recognize that students may return to school on Monday carrying a range of emotions, questions and concerns,” stated McKillop.

The district has also been in contact with local family resource centers The Grapevine in Antrim and The River Center in Peterborough to coordinate support throughout the next week.

The Grapevine Family and Community Resource Center in Antrim has scheduled a small group gathering on Tuesday night for teens who were impacted by the loss of Cronan. The group will share and process, facilitated by local counselor David Cope and Grapevine Director of Teen Programs Jacqueline Roland. The group is open to teens in the ninth grade or older. Registration is required. Contact avenuea@grapevinenh.org for details.

Author Tom Thelen had been scheduled to discuss mental health issues and bullying in a school community Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. at the high school, although that has been postponed. In the wake of the fatal crashes, he stated that ConVal had contacted him.

“I had a meeting with the school today regarding our plan for helping the students this Thursday. The school is being very proactive in helping the students and the community,” he stated Monday.

Monadnock Print & Embroidery is pairing with SWNH Alerts & Info to create a “Monadnock Strong” shirt campaign, with profits to go to the families of those involved in the crashes.

GoFundMe campaigns have been set up in support of some of the families impacted. One, for the Lundgren family, has already far surpassed its original goal of $9,999, with a total of $17,885 donations as of Sunday night. The contributions will go to Lundgren’s parents and their children for their immediate needs and to cover funeral costs. The GoFundMe is available at tinyurl.com/LundgrenGoFundMe.

A GoFundMe in support of Cronan’s family has also exceeded $10,000, raising a total of $12,501 by Sunday night. The GoFundMe is available at tinyurl.com/CronanGoFundMe.

A GoFundMe in memorial for Barna has so far collected $3,840 of a $10,000 goal, as of Monday afternoon. The Go FundMe is available at gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-james-barna.

Reporters David Allen and Jesseca Timmons contributed to this report.