A quiet Wednesday afternoon in Derry turned into a total nightmare that nobody saw coming. Just before 1:00 p.m., a terrible car crash took the life of 24-year-old Monica McCarthy right at a town intersection. She was a bright, talented young woman whose life was cut way too short, leaving her family and local friends completely heartbroken.
Monica was driving her 2017 Toyota Corolla down Hampstead Road, heading through the intersection at Nutmeadow Lane. Around 12:55 p.m., her small sedan collided with a giant 1998 Peterbilt dump truck. The force of the impact hit directly on the driver’s side of her car, crushing the metal and leaving severe damage.
Emergency crews from the Derry Fire Department rushed over to the scene as soon as the calls came in. First responders worked quickly to pull Monica out of her ruined car and put her into an ambulance. They rushed her straight to Parkland Medical Center, but despite everything doctors did to save her, she passed away at the hospital.
By Thursday morning, those who loved Monica were struggling to deal with the painful reality of her death. Friends set up a GoFundMe page to help her family cover cremation and funeral expenses. The fundraiser quickly filled up with messages from people remembering how special she was.
Those who knew Monica best described her as a rare mix of pure grit and deep kindness. She was ambitious, outspoken, and incredibly creative. She loved making art, and friends said her artwork was some of the absolute best they had ever seen. She was the kind of person who always stood up for what was right and put others first, even when things were tough for her.
The online fundraiser was created to take some of the financial weight off her grieving family. The organizers made it clear that any extra money raised beyond her service costs will go directly to a mental health charity. They felt that giving back was the best way to honor Monica’s caring heart and strong values.
Meanwhile, the crash site at Hampstead Road stayed closed off in both directions for several hours. Officers from the Derry Police Department Accident Investigation Unit stayed on scene to figure out what went wrong. Police are still looking into the details of the crash and want anyone with information to call the department right away.
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