Fiery one-vehicle crash closes Route 125 in Milton

Milton Police, Milton Fire and Rescue and other first responders at the scene of today's crash on White Mountain Highway in Milton. (Lebanon Voice photo)

MILTON - Route 125 at Lockhart Field in Milton is closed today in both directions after what appears to be a horrific one-vehicle crash next to the entrance of the park occurred around 11:40 a.m. At 12:50 p.m. it was still reported closed by dispatch.

Cars were being diverted away from the crash as a truck that had crashed into a tree smoldered nearby and first responders struggled to free a man who was trapped inside the vehicle, which had earlier been a fireball, one bystander said.

A woman, the passenger in the truck, escaped and was seen distraught by the side of the road and being comforted by friends.

A man who lives across the street from where the crash occurred said he rushed out to try to free the man who was pinned beneath the dashboard unable to get out on his own before flames began to engulf the vehicle.

"I was telling him to calm down, the fire was smoldering," said Craig Jewett. "Then I ran back across the road to get another fire extinguisher because they wanted another. By the time I got back it was almost fully engulfed."

The truck, which was carrying a trailer, was thought to have been traveling north when it appeared to have crossed into the southbound lane, gone off the left side of the road and struck the tree.

The impact sounded like a thunderclap, one bystander said.

Milton Firefighters and Rescue personnel, Milton and Wakefield Police and Frisbie Paramedics were all on hand trying to save the man, but no official word on his condition was available as of this posting.