Multiple sources have reported that a tragic incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, resulting in the death of a 14-year-old student named Nova Dunn.
Nova was attending Southside Middle School in Manchester at the time.
The incident involved Nova jumping from the Huse Road overpass onto Interstate 293.
In an email sent to families within the district on Wednesday night, Manchester School Superintendent Jenn Gillis expressed profound sadness as she shared the unfortunate news of the unexpected passing of one of their students.
Gillis stated in her message that the loss of the student might evoke a range of emotions, concerns, and inquiries among the entire school community, particularly the students.
To address this, counselors from various Manchester schools and the state Disaster Behavior Health Response Team were present at the affected school on Thursday to provide support, according to district spokesman Andrew Toland.
Toland expressed that their primary priority in the upcoming days and weeks is to provide support to their students, families, and staff members. Multiple sources indicate that the student is believed to have attempted self-harm. It is crucial to recognize that suicide poses an increasing risk for teenagers, and assistance is accessible for anyone experiencing distressing thoughts. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988 for immediate help, and the Crisis Text Line is also available by texting “Hello” to 741741.
The incident occurred at the Huse Road overpass, which spans over the I-293 highway in close proximity to the Mall of New Hampshire. The overpass is equipped with chain-link fencing as a safety measure to prevent falls. It is located slightly over a mile away from Southside Middle School. According to emergency dispatch logs, the individual jumped a few minutes prior to 3 p.m. and landed on the eastbound lanes.
The tragic incident resulted in a significant traffic congestion in both directions. New Hampshire State Police swiftly responded by opening the high-speed lane to alleviate the congestion within 20 minutes. However, traffic delays persisted for several hours. It took approximately two hours for the authorities to fully reopen the entire highway. At this time, no further details regarding the incident have been released by the state police.
14-year-old Nova Dunn, a student at Southside Middle School in Manchester died after jumping from the Huse Road overpass onto Interstate 293