Driver injured, moose dies in crash

AMHERST – A moose took on a couple of vehicles early Thursday morning on Route 101. The moose lost, but not before it destroyed one car and sent its driver to the hospital with injuries.

Shortly after midnight, a westbound vehicle driven by Theresa Allen, 50, of Wilton struck the moose, which was attempting to cross Route 101 near Horace Greeley Road, Police Chief Gary MacGuire said.

Allen was not hurt in the collision, but her vehicle sustained minor damage, MacGuire said.

The moose was then struck by a second westbound car driven by Dale Wehrle, 41, of Fitchburg, Mass., MacGuire said.

Wehrle’s 2001 Volkswagen Jetta was destroyed and the moose killed on impact, MacGuire said.

Wehrle was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua where he was treated and released.

Due to the height of the moose, the engine portion of Wehrle’s car did not buffer the impact of the collision as typically happens in other types of accidents, MacGuire said.

Instead, the weight of the moose peeled the roof of the car all the way to the back of the vehicle, MacGuire said.