Shortly after 12:50 a.m. this Sunday, a routine traffic stop on northbound Interstate 93 in Canterbury, New Hampshire, turned into a fatal high-speed chase. Troopers say a 20-year-old Saugus, Massachusetts man refused to stop after being spotted by a trooper for speeding near Exit 12. Instead, his blue 2020 Honda Civic accelerated into the night.
The pursuit escalated rapidly. State police estimate the vehicle was reaching speeds up to 120 mph as it wove northward on the highway, unable — or unwilling — to heed the trooper’s commands. As the Civic approached Exit 18, the driver attempted the off-ramp but apparently lost control, veering off the roadway, crossing the northbound on-ramp and plummeting down an embankment where the car struck a tree.
The driver — identified by the New Hampshire State Police as Benjamin Tapia Gately of Saugus — was ejected from the vehicle in the violent impact and despite immediate efforts by troopers and emergency crews from the Canterbury Fire & Rescue, he was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the only occupant of the Civic.
In the wake of the crash, the highway remained partially closed as the state police’s Collision Analysis & Reconstruction Unit worked to piece together the events leading up to the tragedy. Investigators are urging anyone who witnessed the chase — particularly between Exits 12 and 18 — to contact Sergeant Kenneth McGrath at 603-223-4381 or [email protected].
While full details about why the driver refused to pull over are still under investigation, the NH State Police emphasize the inherent dangers of high-speed pursuits and the ripple effects they can have on bystanders and first responders. Officials say they will carefully review policy, the duration and speed of the chase, and the decision-making that led up to the ramp exit where the crash occurred.
Friends and acquaintances of Gately in Saugus described him as a young man with big dreams, though none anticipated Sunday’s tragic outcome. A community in mourning now grapples with the shock of a night that ended far differently than anyone imagined.
As the investigation continues, state police remind drivers that any attempt to evade a lawful traffic stop endangers not only the driver but everyone on the road — and that no speeding ticket is worth a life lost in seconds.
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