Sequence of Crashes on Route 12A Leaves Visitor Critically Injured

A December 18 afternoon sequence of crashes on Route 12A in Cornish began with a collision between an SUV and a fuel tanker and ended when a vehicle struck a pedestrian on the Cornish Windsor covered bridge. The pedestrian, 52 year old Michael Iwanchuk of Oregon, suffered severe injuries including a skull fracture, brain injury, collapsed lungs and broken ribs. He was transported to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in critical condition, and his wife reported on December 19 that he remained in a coma.

State Police opened an investigation into the bridge collision. At the scene emergency crews faced a separate but linked hazard when the tanker involved in the earlier crash was disabled and required offloading of about 9,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel before it could be moved. The fuel removal and vehicle recovery extended road closures and complicated response operations.

Local officials and first responders worked to secure the bridge and clear Route 12A, which serves as a main corridor for local commuters and seasonal visitors. The extended response on a weekday afternoon disrupted traffic between Cornish and neighboring communities and interrupted travel plans for people using the scenic covered bridge. The tanker offload introduced an environmental risk that required careful handling by emergency crews and likely delayed reopening of the route.

No criminal charges had been filed at the time of reporting. Police asked witnesses and anyone with information about either collision to contact NH State Police as they continue to piece together the sequence of events that led to both the tanker crash and the pedestrian strike.

For residents the incidents underscore the compounded risks when traffic collisions involve heavy vehicles and vulnerable users on narrow, historic bridges. Officials say investigators will use witness accounts and scene evidence to determine cause and identify any safety or infrastructure steps that could reduce the chance of similar incidents in the future.