Northeast Metro Tech student and N.H. man killed in separate Middleton crashes

Local News

There were two fatal crashes in Middleton Wednesday. One involved a group of teenagers and the other an elderly man from Canterbury, New Hampshire.

Two people died in separate car crashes in Middleton Wednesday.

A student at Northeast Metro Tech died after being involved in a crash Wednesday night, school officials announced.

The student was only identified as a senior from Malden in a statement released by Superintendent David DiBarri. The district was told of the tragic news early Thursday morning, he said.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of one of our students. We will have the necessary resources available for our community as they navigate this difficult time,” DiBarri said in the statement. “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the student. I encourage students and our own faculty and staff to use the resources available during this difficult time as emotions and grief come in all forms.”  

Of the two fatal car crashes, one involved a group of teenagers. At about 10 p.m., first responders were notified of the crash via a cellphone’s automatic alert system. They responded to an unpaved section of North Liberty Road to find a pickup truck off the road and upside down, police said.

The truck had four occupants. An 18-year-old male and a 17-year-old male were still inside the vehicle when police arrived. An 18-year-old female and a 17-year-old female were found standing outside the truck, police said.

The two males were removed from the truck by personnel with the Middleton Fire Department. First aid was administered to all four occupants of the truck.

They were all brought to local hospitals. The 18-year-old male was pronounced dead at a hospital. The other male remained hospitalized with serious injuries, while the two females were treated and released, police said.

Northeast Metro Tech, a vocational high school in Wakefield, is offering grief assistance and counseling for those affected by the crash.

The other fatal crash occurred just after 12:30 p.m. on Route 114 in the area of Lookout Lane. A sedan was found on its side. Inside was a man later identified as 84-year-old Herbert E. Batchelder, of Canterbury, New Hampshire. The jaws of life were used to remove Batchelder from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at Lawrence General Hospital, police said.