Gruesome footage has captured the aftermath of a fiery crash that killed a beloved New Hampshire father and charity volunteer.
Scott Defreitas, 52, was tragically killed Thursday after plowing his Mercedes into a toll booth, causing the vehicle to explode in a fireball.
New Hampshire State Police said Defreitas was pulled from the wreckage by several witnesses, but lifesaving measures could not save him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Defreitas, a manager at manufacturing company Hypotherm Associates, has previously been praised for his extensive charity work, including organizing monthly dinners for a local homeless shelter.
Gruesome footage captures the aftermath of a fiery crash that killed a beloved New Hampshire father and charity volunteer
Officials said they spent three hours putting out the fire and clearing the roadway, which one witness described as “really scary.”
The horror crash occurred around 3:15 p.m. Thursday in Bedford, New Hampshire, after Defreitas collided with a toll on the Everett Turnpike.
It is unclear what the cause of the accident was, images show that no other vehicles were involved in the incident.
Video filmed by a witness showed Defreitas’ Mercedes SL 500 engulfed in flames, which officials later said took three hours to extinguish.
A large police presence was at the scene as officials worked to deal with the incident and clear the roadway of debris, with later footage showing the burnt-out bodywork of the vehicle on the highway.
Witness Robert Webster told it WMUR that the tragic incident was ‘a shock’.
“It was really scary,” he said. “The gentleman was still on the ground when we passed by, and the firefighters were trying to put out the fire.”
Police say the accident is still under investigation and are looking for information from witnesses.
Scott Defreitas, 52, tragically died in the crash after his Mercedes collided with a toll booth and exploded in flames
Defreitas was praised for his extensive charity work, including organizing monthly dinners for a local homeless shelter. He is pictured here with his two children
According to online records, Defreitas worked as a buyer and category manager for manufacturing company Hypotherm Associates, and was praised in the company’s “social responsibility” promotion for his charity work.
He hosted monthly dinners for the Haven Hixon House homeless shelter, noting in the promotion that “nothing has had a greater impact on grounding me than helping people.”
Officials raised the alarm after the crash over the dangers posed at toll gates, calling Thursday’s wreck the sixth at toll gates in the state in the past three months.
In the past month, a Massachusetts man died after crashing into the Hampton Toll Plaza over Memorial Day weekend, just days before another man was injured at the same location, Hoodline reports.
New Hampshire Department of Transportation official Richard Arcand said the incidents are a concerning trend, especially because they were not believed to be a “snow event” or caused by weather.
“The roads are clear and dry and this is speeding or inattentive driving or sometimes distracted or poor driving and it is very concerning,” he said.