A 19-year-old Hudson man has been charged with multiple felony offenses, including negligent homicide and manslaughter, following a fatal crash that killed a motorcyclist Wednesday night in Litchfield, New Hampshire.

John Burke was arrested and arraigned Thursday at Merrimack District Court after authorities determined he was allegedly driving under the influence and intentionally collided with a motorcycle on Route 102. The victim, identified as Jeffrey Day, 57, of Londonderry, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident occurred at approximately 9:17 p.m. on April 30. Officers were alerted by a Toyota Safety ConnectⓇ crash notification and a 911 call reporting a collision between Cutler Road and Woodburn Road. Emergency units from Litchfield, Hudson, and Londonderry responded.

At the scene, officers located a Toyota Corolla and a Mitsubishi Outlander involved in a crash. Day’s motorcycle was found nearby in a wooded area, and he was discovered unresponsive on the shoulder of the road. Police said Burke, the driver of the Corolla, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. The Mitsubishi driver was treated and released on site.

Police say crash with motorcyclist was intentional

An investigation conducted by Litchfield Police, New Hampshire State Police detectives, and the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit revealed that Burke intentionally struck the motorcycle based on physical evidence and witness accounts. The Mitsubishi was involved in a secondary crash after attempting to avoid the motorcycle.

Burke faces seven charges, including negligent homicide, manslaughter (reckless), first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated DUI resulting in serious bodily injury, reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, vehicular assault, and witness tampering.

An autopsy conducted May 1 by the New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed Day’s identity and cause of death. Authorities have not disclosed details about Burke’s alleged impairment or his motives.

The Litchfield Police Department thanked the Hudson and Londonderry emergency services, state police units, and medical examiner’s office for their assistance in the investigation.

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