Claremont woman killed, another seriously hurt in Charlestown crash

Jan. 22—CHARLESTOWN — A head-on crash on Route 12 left a Claremont woman dead and another seriously injured Friday afternoon, police announced that night.

Charity Dyer, 51, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a news release Saturday afternoon from Charlestown police.

The crash, near Shutters Way, was reported at around 4:40 p.m.

Based on their initial investigation, police say Dyer was driving a 2020 Toyota Rav 4 south on Route 12 (Claremont Road), crossed the center line for unknown reasons and collided with a 2012 Honda CRV heading north.

The 63-year-old female driving the Honda — who is also from Claremont but not named in the release —was taken to Valley Regional Hospital and then transferred to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center with serious injuries, the release says. She is expected to recover.

No one else was in either vehicle, according to the release.

During the course of the investigation, the release says a "significant amount of illegal narcotics were located in Dyer's car and in her possession." Toxicology results for Dyer are pending.

Route 12 was closed in the vicinity of the collision for about four hours.

This marks the second deadly motor vehicle crash reported in the Monadnock Region Friday. Hours earlier, a two-vehicle crash on Route 9 near the Roxbury/Sullivan town line left a Nelson resident fatally injured, State Police said. (See related story.)

Anyone with more information about the Charlestown crash is asked to call Lt. Jonathan Graham at 603-826-5747.

Charlestown police were assisted at the scene by the Charlestown Fire Department, N.H. State Police, the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, Golden Cross Ambulance and the N.H. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

This article has been updated with new information from Charlestown police.