A member of the security detail for Gov. Kelly Ayotte pulled a driver from a burning electric car following a fiery crash at the Bedford, New Hampshire toll plaza.
It happened around noon Tuesday on the Everett Turnpike.
New Hampshire State Police closed northbound lanes on the busy road after the car hit the toll plaza and burst into flames. The plaza remains closed while the New Hampshire Department of Transportation assesses the structure.
Police identified the driver as 51-year-old Yevgeny Mirman of Massachusetts.
A short time after the crash, police said that a state trooper working as a member of the governor’s security detail rushed in to pull Mirman from the car window of the 2026 Lucid Gravity.
“It is a veteran trooper and certainly their actions were heroic. Without hesitation they put themselves in danger to render aid to someone who clearly was in need of it. The vehicle became fully engulfed in flames. It was a pretty dangerous situation,” New Hampshire State Police Col. Mark Hall said at a news conference.
Hall said it was difficult to knock down the flames because an electric vehicle was involved.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte helps after crash
Gov. Ayotte and other witnesses also provided assistance. Police said the governor “was never in harm’s way,” but grabbed a fire extinguisher from another vehicle in an attempt to knock down the flames.
According to New Hampshire State Police, Mirman suffered serious injuries and was taken to an area hospital but is expected to survive.
“I want to thank the Trooper on my security detail and the bystanders who stepped up to help at the scene of the crash for their brave lifesaving efforts today. Joe and I are praying for the full recovery of the driver who was injured today,” Gov. Ayotte said in a statement.
Michael Sullivan was among those who jumped into action after the crash. Sullivan said he and another man punched out a back window to make sure no one else was inside.
“[Ayotte] stopped us, thanked us. And then called me afterwards and thanked us again,” Sullivan said. “We just did what I would want someone to do if I was in that situation.”
Police said no charges have been filed at this time, but all aspects of the crash remain under investigation.
A fiery crash at the Bedford toll booth in New Hampshire.
Michael Sullivan
Bedford toll booth crashes
The Bedford toll booth has been the site of several serious crashes in recent years.
In 2021, a 65-year-old man was killed after crashing in to the concrete barrier. Police said at the time that speed appeared to have been a factor.
A Manchester woman and another man were both seriously injured in November 2025 after a minivan slammed into the structure. Police also said at the time that speed appeared to have factored into that crash.
Hall said there is currently an ongoing project to improve safety at the plaza but he deferred to NHDOT for additional details on the timeline.
Ayotte, a Republican, defeated Democrat Joyce Craig in 2024 to become the successor of Gov. Chris Sununu, who had served as New Hampshire governor since 2016.
Bedford, New Hampshire is located about 55 miles from Boston, about 15 miles north of the Massachusetts border.
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