CANDIA, N.H. – A Nashua man is deceased following a crash on Route 101 eastbound in Candia.

At 6:38 a.m. on Monday, December 22, 2025, State Troopers assigned to the Troop A barracks responded to a report of a crash on Route 101 eastbound near Exit 3 in Candia. On their way, the Troopers learned that the engine of the vehicle had caught fire. Troopers arrived on scene to find that the crash involved a single vehicle and that several good Samaritans had pulled over and extricated the severely injured driver.

The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2025 Subaru Outback, driven by Joseph J. Lavoie, 58, of Nashua, had been traveling along Route 101 eastbound near Exit 3 when, for reasons that remain under investigation, Lavoie lost control of the Subaru, resulting in the Subaru drifting off the right side of the highway, traveling along a grassy embankment, and ultimately striking the cement bridge abutment at the Old Candia Road overpass. After the impact, the engine compartment of the Subaru caught fire but was quickly extinguished.

Lavoie was transported via ambulance to an area hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Due to the severity of the crash, members of the NHSP Collision Analysis & Reconstruction (CAR) Unit responded to assist members of Troop A with the investigation. While Troopers investigated and emergency personnel worked to remove the Subaru, along with an extensive cleanup of debris, the right lane of Route 101 eastbound was closed to traffic. The scene was ultimately cleared, and all lanes were reopened at 10:13 a.m.

Troopers were assisted at the scene by members of the Candia police and fire departments, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Auburn Fire Department, the New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

All aspects of this crash remain under investigation. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Kevin LeDoux via email at Kevin.P.LeDoux@dos.nh.gov.