AUBURN, N.H. – A two-vehicle crash slowed Wednesday traffic on Route 101 in Auburn.
At 3:35 p.m., Wednesday, July 29, 2026, State Troopers assigned to the Troop A barracks responded to a report of a crash involving a tractor-trailer and a van on Route 101 westbound, near mile marker 62.4, in Auburn.
The preliminary investigation determined that a 2022 Ford T-350 van was in the left lane of the highway when the driver, identified as Pedro Cruz, 31, of Manchester, lost control. The van entered the right lane of the highway and collided with a 2027 Freightliner tractor-trailer driven by Timothy Lake, 47, of Lancaster, PA. The crash forced both vehicles off the right side of the highway, into the nearby woods. Investigators ultimately determined that Cruz was traveling too fast for the wet road conditions prior to the crash.
Cruz and Lake were transported to an area hospital to be evaluated for minor injuries. Cruz was cited for a violation of speeding – existing conditions.
The right lane of the highway was closed for seven hours while extensive efforts to recover and remove both vehicles took place. The road was fully reopened at 11:20 p.m.
Troopers were assisted by members of the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office, the Auburn, Candia, and Derry fire departments, as well as the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.
All aspects of the crash remain under investigation. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Seth Parker at Seth.W.Parker@dos.nh.gov.
