Driver tells Rochester police why he drove away after hitting woman with truck
ROCHESTER — Christopher Robinson told police he "panicked" and drove away after hitting a woman walking on Milton Road with his pickup truck on June 2, leading to her death, according to court documents.
Robinson turned himself into police June 8, three days after Kim Lucier, 60, of Rochester, died June 5 at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
Robinson, 43, of Milton, was accompanied by his attorney, Timothy Harrington of Shaheen & Gordon, when he was questioned by Rochester police. The interview is described in an affidavit filed in Strafford County Superior Court.
"Before I could do anything I hit her and then I just panicked," Robinson told police, according to the document. "I saw the back of a person and then it was over and then I freaked out."
Robinson acknowledged he knew he had hit a person with his Ford F-150 when he drove away, according to the affidavit written by Rochester police Detective Sgt. Jacob Benjamin.
The narrative also includes Robinson telling police about the events leading up to the accident. He told police he left work in Portsmouth around 9 p.m. on Friday, June 2, to pick up items at a store in Newington for an acquaintance in Rochester. He delivered them to her home and then drove toward his home, striking Lucier while driving northbound on Milton Road.
On Monday morning, June 5, Robinson said, he contacted his father and asked him to bring him to an attorney so he could turn himself into police, according to the affidavit.
Robinson and his attorney showed police damage to his truck's hood, side light guard and side grill area, which he said was not present prior to the accident.
According to police, prior to Robinson contacting them, he had not been identified as the driver who struck Lucier. The investigation had been ongoing for several days.
The affidavit describes police talking to Robinson's father and the acquaintance he visited to make a delivery the night of the accident. Police said they also reviewed surveillance video in the area of the accident and at the acquaintance's home. All of the information they gathered, according to police descriptions, is consistent with what Robinson told police.
Rochester police responded June 2 to the accident after receiving reports of a woman on the ground on the shoulder of the roadway. Police said Lucier was found on her back, unconscious, bleeding from the back of her head with several lacerations on her face. She was on the northbound side of the road with her belongings, including an unoccupied baby stroller, scattered in and off the road.
The New Hampshire medical examiner determined Lucier's death was a result of injuries sustained in the accident.
Lucier is remembered as a "beautiful wife and mother," according to her family.
Strafford County Attorney Thomas Velardi said the charge against Robinson, conduct after an accident, is a Class B felony, punishable by 3.5 to 7 years in New Hampshire State Prison and a maximum $4,000 fine if he is found guilty.
"There is no minimum penalty," Velardi said. "The current charge reflects the allegation that the defendant left the scene of the collision. The county attorney and Rochester police will continue to evaluate the evidence to determine whether any additional charges should be filed for causing the victim's death."
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Robinson denied alcohol use or use of his mobile electronic device, according to police.
Robinson was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond and is scheduled to be arraigned in Strafford County Superior Court July 13 at 12:30 p.m.
Harrington could not be immediately reached for comment.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Man tells Rochester police 'I panicked' after hitting woman with truck
