Hudson man, 19, charged with intentionally causing fatal Litchfield motorcycle crash
A Hudson man is facing manslaughter and other charges in connection with a fatal crash Wednesday night in Litchfield between a car and motorcycle that police allege was intentional.
John Burke, 19, is charged with manslaughter - reckless, negligent homicide, first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated DUI - serious bodily injury, reckless conduct - deadly weapon, witness tampering and vehicular assault.
Litchfield Police Chief Daniel Jones initially said Burke was being charged with second-degree murder, than a short time later sent an updated statement saying, the second-degree murder charge "is not being brought at this time."
Around 9:17 p.m., Litchfield police responded to a crash notification from Toyota Safety Connect and a 9-1-1 call reporting a motor vehicle accident on Route 102, between Cutler Road and Woodburn Road. Emergency responders from the Litchfield Fire Department, Hudson Ambulance, and Londonderry Fire Department were dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, officers found a Toyota Corolla and a Mitsubishi Outlander that police say were involved in a head-on collision. Nearby, a motorcycle was found in the wood line, and an adult male, wearing a helmet, was found unresponsive on the shoulder of the road.
The identity of the male, who was pronounced dead at the scene, has yet to be released pending notification of next-of-kin. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed Thursday by the New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
The driver of the Mitsubishi was treated for minor injuries at the scene and released. The driver of the Toyota, later identified as Burke, was transported to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center and treated for minor injuries.
An investigation led by Litchfield police, and the New Hampshire State Police Major Crimes Unit and the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit (CAR), determined the crash between the Toyota and the motorcycle was intentional, based on witness statements and physical evidence.
The later crash involving the Mitsubishi is not believed to have been intentional, police said, but happened as a result of Burke allegedly pursuing the motorcycle into the oncoming lane of traffic. Burke was allegedly driving under the influence at the time of the incident, Litchfield police said.
Burke is expected to be arraigned at Merrimack District Court on Thursday.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Litchfield Police Department at 603-424-3423.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Ex-Long Island DA jailed for corruption resurfaces as part-time, 83-year-old law clerk
He went from Suffolk County's top prosecutor ruling with an iron-fist, to a felon, to a part-time paper pusher. Disgraced former Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota, who was canned on corruption charges and sentenced to five years for helping cover up the brutal beating of a handcuffed suspect — has quietly rebranded as a clerk for a Long Island law firm. Spota, now 83 and disbarred, is now working part-time under the supervision of Hauppauge-hotshot criminal defense attorney Anthony LaPinta, who previously defended him in court. Advertisement 3 Ex Suffolk County district attorney Thomas Spota walking out of the federal court building in Central Islip New York after his hearing in 2018. New York Post LaPinta's office confirmed to The Post that Spota has been working as an administrative clerk in the firm since last August, shortly after he was moved from federal prison in Danbury to community confinement. 'Mr. Spota has been under my direct supervision as an administrative clerk in my law office during his work-release designation and current supervised release sentence,' LaPinta told Newsday. Advertisement Spota does administrative work as a 'nonlawyer administrative clerk' for about 10 to 15 hours per week for the firm and will remain on its payroll until at least the end of his supervised release, according to LaPinta. In 2019, Spota and his former top anti-corruption deputy, Christopher McPartland, were both convicted of conspiracy, obstruction, witness tampering and helping to cover up the savage 2012 assault of burglary suspect Christopher Loeb inside a Suffolk precinct. 3 Mug shot of Christopher Loeb who was charged with Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree, Reckless Endangerment 2nd Degree, Unlawfully Fleeing a Police Officer, Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, and multiple vehicle and traffic infractions. PIO Then-police Chief James Burke and three detectives were said to have carried out the beating. Advertisement Loeb was allegedly handcuffed and manically beaten by the four officers inside a Suffolk police station after the suspect broke into Burke's car and stole the police chief's dildo and porn stash to sell for drugs. Burke was sentenced to nearly four years for the beating in 2016. He now faces another stint in prison after he was busted for soliciting sex, and even masturbating in front of a plainclothes ranger at 10 a.m. in Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park in Farmingville back in 2023. 3 James Burke is arraigned in front of Judge Cheng in the Cohalan Court Complex located at 400 Carleton Ave., Central Islip, New York. Dennis A. Clark Spota's office was later convicted of trying to bury the beating to shield his long-time friend, and sentenced to four years after Burke's conviction. Advertisement In 2020, Spota was sentenced to five years in prison and disbarred. At his sentencing, he told the court he felt deep shame for the damage he caused. 'I've also left [my family] with a shattered legacy and the stain of being a convicted felon.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
2nd defendant arraigned in 2020 killing of convenience store clerk
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — One of two men facing murder and attempted robbery charges in connection with the shooting death of a convenience store clerk in 2020 was arraigned Monday afternoon. Not guilty pleas were entered on behalf of Miles Clancy and his next hearing date was scheduled June 20. Clancy is being held without bail. Co-defendant Joseph Lee Aguirre was previously arraigned and is due back in court June 25. The shooting happened Oct. 14, 2020, at a convenience store at North Chester and McCord avenues. Man sentenced for deadly shooting of trespasser in Cal City neighborhood Two masked men entered the store and one of them immediately pulled a gun, according to court documents. The clerk grabbed a BB gun to defend himself and was shot once. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspects ran to a waiting black Toyota Corolla. The car was missing its rear license plate, but a review of surveillance footage showed the same vehicle had gone to the store earlier that day, its rear plate clearly visible, investigators said in court documents. Investigators said they tracked down the car's owner and gathered information that helped identify the suspects. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Memphis Reporter OK After Being Carjacked in Company Car
A WREG reporter is OK after he was was carjacked at gunpoint at a gas station on Tuesday morning. The Memphis CBS affiliate said it happened around 10:30 a.m. on a busy corner just about a mile east of WREG's studio and offices. A man approached reporter Mike Suriani, who was working at the time, while he was at a gas pump. Suiriani got out of the station's white 2016 Toyota RAV4 when a man wearing a mask approached from the sidewalk and shouted to give him the car keys. The man had his hand on a gun that was sticking out of his pocket. Suriani handed over the keys and the man drove off southbound on Third Street. WREG said Suriani was unhurt. The suspect got away with the Toyota and the camera gear inside. There was no WREG logo on the side, but the number 19 is on the bottom right bumper of the vehicle. The tag number is BHM 6360.
