Several Injured After Truck Plunges Into River in Manchester, NH

Manchester, NH (September 23, 2026) – Six vehicles were involved in a crash Wednesday morning, September 23, on I-293 North after Brown Avenue. The accident sent a box truck into the Merrimack River. 

Manchester Fire and neighboring fire departments responded quickly to the scene near Brown Avenue.

A man was seen standing on top of the truck in the water before rescue boats reached him. Rescuers pulled him to safety around 8 a.m.

People were also trapped inside two additional vehicles nearby, which prompted several ambulances to respond from surrounding communities.

In total, emergency units treated eleven patients at the scene, and seven were taken to nearby hospitals. Crews placed containment booms across the river as a precaution following reports of a possible fuel leak.

The exact cause of the wreck remains under investigation. 

Our thoughts are with everyone involved as they recover.

Are Commercial Truck Drivers Held to a Higher Standard in Manchester, NH?

Yes, commercial truck drivers in New Hampshire are held to stricter regulations than typical passenger vehicle drivers. 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules govern hours of service, vehicle maintenance, and driver qualifications. Violations of these standards can support a finding of negligence in a multi-vehicle collision involving a commercial vehicle. 

When a commercial vehicle is involved in an accident with multiple passenger vehicles, liability can extend beyond the truck driver alone. The trucking company that owns or leases the vehicle may share responsibility if inadequate maintenance, improper loading, or insufficient driver training contributed to what happened. 

Commercial vehicles are also required to carry higher minimum insurance coverage than personal vehicles, which can affect how compensation is pursued when multiple people are hurt in the same multi-vehicle pileup.

In a commercial vehicle pileup, evidence such as driver logs, maintenance records, and black box data can be critical to determining what happened. However, it is important to know that trucking companies are only required to preserve certain records for a limited window before they can be routinely discarded. 

A truck accident lawyer in Manchester can move quickly to send a preservation letter to the trucking company to help ensure key evidence isn’t lost before a claim can be fully investigated.

If you are dealing with the aftermath of a multi-vehicle collision, we can help you sort through your options. At Stephen Law, we can go over the details of your accident and help you identify what key evidence to preserve to start the process. 

You can call Stephen Law at (877) 663-1007 if you have any doubts about your case. We are here to guide you through the process.  

Note: This post has been prepared using information obtained from publicly available secondary sources. The details of the incident have not been independently verified. If you identify any inaccuracies, please contact Stephen Law Group so our team can promptly review and update the content to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or medical advice. This content does not establish an attorney-client relationship and is not intended as a solicitation for legal services. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, please seek immediate medical attention. Any photographs included in this post are for illustrative purposes only and do not depict the actual scene of the accident.