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Family of 18-year-old who died in a car crash in New Ipswich on Saturday speaks out

At 4:15 a.m. Saturday, New Hampshire State Police said a 21-year-old and an 18-year-old were killed in a crash near the intersection of Turnpike Road and Temple Road in New Ipswich. The driver, Devin Lundgren, 21, of New Ipswich, and his passenger, James Barna, 18, of Sharon, were pronounced dead at the scene after colliding with a Dodge Ram that was turning left heading south, state police said. Nariyah Acorn, 18, Barna's girlfriend, told News 9 he had a wonderful sense of humor and was a hard worker who cared about his loved ones. Acorn said despite his difficult childhood, Barna was full of light. “He had a great personality. He was really funny. He loved basketball. He loved music. He cared deeply about others and was very protective,” Acorn said. Heather Acorn, Barna's legal guardian, told News 9 he had a way of lightening the room. “Even when you were in the worst mood, he would just say something silly to make you laugh,” Heather said. The family said Barna was a student at ConVal Regional High School until last year. News 9 has confirmed that two people killed in the fatal crashes in Dublin and New Ipswich this weekend were current or former students at ConVal. In light of the recent tragedies, school officials released a statement to the ConVal community. “The loss of a friend or classmate can be deeply traumatic, and we recognize that students may return to school on Monday with a range of emotions, questions and concerns,” said Principal Heather McKillop. “Supporting our students, staff and families during this difficult time is our highest priority right now. We have support planned for Monday and are planning support throughout the week as well,” said Interim Superintendent Dr. Ann Forrest. New Hampshire State Police said speed was likely a factor in the New Ipswich and Dublin crashes. While authorities continue their investigation into the cause of the crash, Barna's family is asking people to take this as a sign and slow down. “It's not just affecting their lives. He was killed so young, he was only 18. It's affecting his whole family too,” Heather said. Anyone who witnessed the New Ipswich crash or has information that could help with the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Isaiah Acquaye at 603-223-4381 or [email protected].

PETERBOROUGH, NH —

At 4:15 a.m. Saturday, New Hampshire State Police said a 21-year-old and an 18-year-old were killed in a crash near the intersection of Turnpike Road and Temple Road in New Ipswich.

The driver, Devin Lundgren, 21, of New Ipswich, and his passenger, James Barna, 18, of Sharon, were pronounced dead at the scene after colliding with a Dodge Ram that was traveling south and turning left, state police said.

Nariyah Acorn, 18, Barna's girlfriend, told News 9 he had a wonderful sense of humor and was a hard worker who helped take care of his loved ones.

Acorn said that despite his difficult childhood, Barna was full of light.

“He had a great personality. He was really funny. He loved basketball. He loved music. He cared a lot about others and was very protective,” Acorn said.

Heather Acorn, Barna's legal guardian, told News 9 he has a way of brightening up the room.

“Even when you were in a bad mood, he would always say something stupid to make you laugh,” Heather said.

The family said Barna was a student at ConVal Regional High School until last year. News 9 has confirmed that two people killed in the fatal crashes in Dublin and New Ipswich this weekend were current or former students at ConVal.

In light of the recent tragedies, school officials issued a statement to the ConVal community.

“The loss of a friend or classmate can be a profound trauma and we recognise that students may return to school on Monday with a range of feelings, questions and concerns,” said headteacher Heather McKillop.

“Supporting our students, staff and families during this difficult time is our highest priority right now. We have support planned for Monday and are also planning support throughout the week,” said Interim Superintendent Dr. Ann Forrest.

New Hampshire State Police said speed was likely a factor in the New Ipswich and Dublin crashes. While authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash, Barna's family is asking people to take this as a sign and slow down.

“It's not just her life that's affected. His life was taken so young, he was only 18. It's affected his whole family too,” Heather said.

Anyone who witnessed the accident in New Ipswich or has information that may assist in the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Isaiah Acquaye at 603-223-4381 or [email protected].

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