By Kristen Carosa
Firefighter dies in Canterbury crash Friday evening
Dispatcher, police officer injured in crash
UPDATED 7:16 PM EDT Aug 20, 2016
CANTERBURY, N.H. —Canterbury police are investigating a crash that left a Lincoln firefighter dead on I-93 Friday evening.
Steven Bomba, 25, of Lincoln, was also a dispatcher for Grafton County.
He and Greg Collins, 41, of Piermont, were passengers in a pickup truck being driven by Michael Weden, 29, of North Woodstock, police said.
Weden is also a dispatcher for Grafton County.
Collins is a Haverhill police officer.
Weden's truck drifted off the road and into the center median, where it hit a cluster of trees, police said.
Weden was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Collins was transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for serious injuries.
Bomba was pronounced dead at the scene.
He was a firefighter for 8 years and gave all he could everyday to keep his community safe, according to Lincoln Fire Chief Ronald Beard.
"This isn't an easy thing to go through, we have seen it in the news multiple times this year and it really hits home when it happens to one of your own," Beard said.
Beard was part of the group of people who notified Bomba's family. He said, "that was probably on of the toughest things."
Beard said the three were coming back from the police academy graduation in Concord.
He said Bomba had been a volunteer firefighter since 2008 and was currently a captain.
"He cared about his community, felt the need to keep his community safe in which his family lived," said Beard. "He would on a daily basis check in with his parents and say 'Everything good? Need anything?' didn't matter if he had been up for 24 hours, he always checked in with his family."
Bomba leaves behind a mother, father, three brothers and a sister.
Funeral arrangements are still being planned.
Police ask anyone with information related to the crash to please call state police at 603-223-8699.
The driver was most likely drunk as they were coming from an academy graduation.
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A Grafton County dispatcher is dead, one is injured, and a Haverhill Police officer is injured after a car accident that took place on Friday evening on Interstate 93 just north of exit 17 in the town of Canterbury, New Hampshire.
New Hampshire State Police report that Lincoln Police Department dispatcher Michael S. Weden, 29, of North Woodstock, New Hampshire was driving a red 2013 Ford F150 northbound on I-93 when the car drifted off the roadway into the center median where it struck a cluster of trees.
As a result of the crash, passenger Lincoln Police Department dispatcher Steve M. Bomba, 25, of Lincoln, New Hampshire suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger, Officer Greg Collins, 41, of Piermont, New Hampshire suffered serious injuries. He was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Weden suffered non-life threatening injures and is being treated at an area hospital.
New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan provided the following statement regarding the accident:
“Dispatcher Steven Bomba was a dedicated public servant, not only through his service to his community as a dispatcher, but also through his bravery and commitment to public safety as a firefighter in Lincoln. His heroic commitment to public service strengthened our communities and our state, and I join all Granite Staters in mourning his loss and wishing Officer Collins and Dispatcher Weden swift recoveries.
New Hampshire’s public safety officials put their lives on the line every day to protect their fellow citizens and keep our communities and our state safe. Now more than ever, it is our responsibility as Granite Staters to come together to support the families, loved ones and colleagues of Dispatcher Bomba, Officer Collins and Dispatcher Weden during this difficult time.”
Weden and Bomba were also volunteer firefighters at the Lincoln Fire Department. All three men were coming back from the New Hampshire Police academy graduation ceremony.
The cause of the accident is unknown at this time. Anyone with more information about this accident is asked to call (603) 223-8699.