MANCHESTER, NH – A Southside Middle School student was killed in a rollover crash in Bedford while driving a stolen car early Wednesday morning, according to police.
On May 28, 2025, at approximately 12:50 a.m., Manchester Police responded to a report of a stolen motor vehicle in the area of 5 Clifford Ave. The victim, a food delivery driver, told officers he had briefly left his 2014 Toyota Corolla unattended. When he returned, the vehicle was gone.
About an hour later, a Manchester officer spotted the vehicle in the area of Kenberma Street. The vehicle was operating without headlights and quickly accelerated away when emergency lights and sirens were activated. A pursuit was initiated and continued onto the highway where the Officer in Charge made the decision to terminate the chase and the officer lost sight of the vehicle.
Around 2 a.m., New Hampshire State Police discovered the car in Bedford, where it had crashed. The juvenile driver was deceased, while a passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Bedford Police and Fire Departments responded at 1:50 a.m. to the Kilton Road on-ramp of Route 101 westbound for a report of a serious rollover crash. Bedford police officers and firefighters arrived within minutes to find two occupants had been ejected from the vehicle, a 2014 Toyota Corolla, and rescuers initiated emergency medical services.
One occupant, identified as a 13-year-old boy from Manchester, was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other occupant, a 14-year-old girl from Manchester, was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. A preliminary investigation indicates that neither was wearing a seatbelt. The investigation has also indicated that the 13- and 14-year-old juveniles were the only occupants of the vehicle. The Toyota that crashed is the same vehicle that was reported stolen earlier from a delivery/rideshare driver in Manchester.
WMUR reports that a man who lives behind the sound barrier by the exit said he and his girlfriend heard a crash and then a female screaming. The ran out to a fire lane behind the house and yelled for the girl to keep screaming until he could find her.
According to WMUR the couple brought the girl to their apartment and called for an ambulance. They said the girl seemed confused and at told them she was kidnapped, at first telling them she was 13 and then 16.
On Wednesday afternoon the school district released the following statement from Superintendent Jenn Chmiel:
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students, and our thoughts are with those impacted by this motor vehicle accident. In addition to our school based counseling teams, we have brought in additional community resources and grief counselors that will be available at the school.
“We encourage parents and students to reach out to a member of the Southside team if you have any questions or would like to access these resources. Please note we have posted additional resources and information related to grief on the Southside webpage.”
The crash remains under investigation by the Bedford Police Department Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team. The investigation indicates that the Corolla appeared to be exiting Route 101 onto Kilton Road when it crashed, rolled over and came to a rest on the on-ramp side of Kilton Road. The Kilton Road on- and off-ramps were closed during the response and investigation. They reopened later on Wednesday morning.