Man charged with negligent homicide in deadly Gilford crash
20-year-old woman killed in crash on Tuesday
20-year-old woman killed in crash on Tuesday
20-year-old woman killed in crash on Tuesday
A Belmont man is facing negligent homicide charges after a crash Tuesday that left a Massachusetts woman dead.
Richard J. Conrod, 47, is charged with negligent homicide and driving under the influence.
Police said Conrod was driving a Toyota Tundra erratically on Route 11 in Gilford after 4 p.m. Tuesday before crossing the center line and striking a Nissan Murano.
"Through the course of their investigation, (police) were able to establish probable cause that the subject that was arrested was involved in a motor vehicle accident related to being under the influence of alcohol," Gilford Deputy Police Chief Kristian Kelley said. "On this particular occasion the officers were out, it was a matter of minutes between the first call that came in as somebody that was driving recklessly and the officers getting called to the accident scene."
Police said Conrod crossed the center line as he came around the corner headed downhill.
"(These are) high speed roads with a lot of grades and curves, so anytime anybody is distracted or under the influence of anything, it just leads to a lot of problems for us," Kelley said.
The 20-year-old driver of the Nissan and one of his passengers, a 45-year-old woman, were both flown to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon for treatment. Another passenger, Tiana Lozzi, 20, of Lynn, Massachusetts, was killed in the crash.
"It's a horrible tragedy," Kelley said. "Any time we lose a life on our roadways, we're deeply saddened for the family and all those involved, because there really aren't any winners in these cases."
A 1-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl in the Nissan were properly restrained in child seats and were not seriously hurt, officials said. They were transported to Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia for treatment.
Conrod was transported to Lakes Region General Hospital for treatment.
Route 11 was closed for several hours as police worked on accident reconstruction.
On Wednesday, flowers were left at the crash site.
Conrod was released on $25,000 personal recognizance bail. He's scheduled to appear in court next month.