Accident on I-95 in Portsmouth, NH – NECN

A Maine man was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol when he caused an accident overnight on Interstate 95 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, seriously injuring himself and two other people.

According to the New Hampshire State Police, patrol officers responded to the I-95 Exit 3 ramp at around 1:53 a.m. where a single-vehicle crash had occurred and found a Honda Accord with multiple occupants.

The driver, 40-year-old Michael Tardiff, and his two passengers were taken by ambulance to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

According to a preliminary investigation, Tardiff was traveling on Exit 3 toward I-95 North when, for reasons currently unknown, he lost control of his Honda while negotiating a curve, causing the vehicle to veer off the left side of the ramp and into an area of ​​heavy brush, where it struck a tree in a wooded area adjacent to the ramp.

The exit 3 ramp was closed to traffic for about two hours while police investigated the scene and rescue workers worked to remove the Honda from the wooded area.

At 3:41 a.m. on Monday, all lanes were reopened, police said.

Tardiff, of Holden, Maine, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and reckless conduct, police said. He was released on bail pending an appearance in Portsmouth District Court on Sept. 11. It was not immediately clear whether he already had an attorney who could comment on the charges.

All aspects of this accident remain under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Kevin Ledoux at [email protected].