Horrifying footage captured the aftermath of a fiery crash that left a beloved New Hampshire father and charity volunteer dead.
Scott Defreitas, 52, tragically lost his life on Thursday after plowing his Mercedes into a toll booth barrier, causing the vehicle to explode into a fireball.
New Hampshire State Police said Defreitas was pulled from the wreck by several witnesses, but life-saving measures could not save him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A manager at manufacturing firm Hypotherm Associates, Defreitas was previously praised for his extensive charity work, including hosting monthly dinners for a local homeless shelter.
Horrifying footage captured the aftermath of a fiery crash that left a beloved New Hampshire father and charity volunteer dead
Officials said they spent three hours extinguishing the fire and clearing the roadway, which a witness described as ‘really scary’
The horror crash unfolded around 3:15 pm on Thursday in Bedford, New Hampshire, after Defreitas collided with a toll on the Everett Turnpike.
It is unclear what caused the crash, with footage appearing to show no other vehicles were involved in the incident.
In video filmed by a witness, Defreitas’ Mercedes SL 500 was seen engulfed in flames, which officials later said took three hours to extinguish.
A heavy law enforcement presence was on the scene as officials worked to process the incident and clear the roadway of debris, with later footage showing the vehicle’s burned-out shell on the highway.
Witness Robert Webster told WMUR that the tragic incident was ‘a shocker.’
‘It was really scary,’ he said. ‘The gentleman was still on the ground when we were passing by, and the firefighters were trying to put out the blaze.’
Police say the crash remains under investigation and they are appealing for information from witnesses.
Scott Defreitas, 52, tragically died in the crash after his Mercedes collided with a toll booth barrier and exploded into flames
Defreitas was praised for his extensive charity work, which included hosting monthly dinners for a local homeless shelter. He’s pictured here with his two children
According to online records, Defreitas worked as a procurer and category manager for manufacturing firm Hypotherm Associates, and was praised in the company’s ‘social responsibility’ promotion for his charity work.
He hosted monthly dinners for homeless shelter Haven Hixon House, and he noted in the promotion that ‘nothing has made more of an impact to make me well-grounded than helping people.’
Officials sounded the alarm after the crash over the dangers posed at tollbooths, and cited Thursday’s wreckage as the sixth at tollbooths in the state in the last three months.
In the past month, a Massachusetts man died after crashing into the Hampton Toll Plaza over Memorial Day weekend, and just days before another man was injured at the same location, reports Hoodline.
New Hampshire Department of Transport official Richard Arcand said that the incidents are a concerning trend, particularly as none were believed to be a ‘snow event’ or caused by weather.
‘The roads are clear and dry and this is speed or inattentive driving or sometimes distracted or impaired driving, and it’s very concerning,’ he said.
