Police investigating serious crash on Route 24 that caused fire

Police are investigating a serious crash that took place this afternoon.

According to Detective Lieutenant John Cahoon at 4:52 p.m. the Portsmouth Police responded to Anthony Road in the vicinity of Route 24 South for the report of a motor vehicle accident.

Upon police arrival, officers determined that a nineteen year-old female operator had lost control of her vehicle while travelling southbound on Route 24. The vehicle struck the guardrail, left the highway and then came to rest on Anthony Road striking a utility pole. This caused power lines to fall, resulting in local power outages.

A bystander assisted the female operator out of the vehicle prior to the vehicle catching fire. Anthony Road was closed to traffic for approximately two hours as first responders extinguished the fire and tended to the fallen electrical wires.

The female operator was conscious and alert when the first responders arrived on scene. She was transported from the scene by the Portsmouth Fire Department to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment.

Members of the Portsmouth Police accident reconstruction team were called to the scene to assist with the investigation. The circumstances of the crash are still under investigation at this time.