Drunken wrong-way driver arrested on Spaulding Turnpike in Dover, police say

Staff report
·2 min read

DOVER — Tire deflation devices were used to stop an impaired wrong-way driver on the Spaulding Turnpike early Friday morning, according to New Hampshire State Police.

A 47-year-old man from Dracut, Massachusetts, was driving a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee north on the southbound side of the turnpike (Route 16) about 1:23 a.m., according to police, who said "concerned motorists" reported the driver.

Trooper John Harris used the tire deflation devices to stop the driver near Exit 9, according to police, deflating two of the tires. The driver was charged with reckless conduct (Class B felony) and driving under the influence of liquor (Class B misdemeanor), police said.

Police say they used a tire-deflation device to stop a Jeep Grand Cherokee on the Spaulding Turnpike near exit 9 in Dover early Friday morning, Aug. 18, 2023.
Police say they used a tire-deflation device to stop a Jeep Grand Cherokee on the Spaulding Turnpike near exit 9 in Dover early Friday morning, Aug. 18, 2023.

The driver was issued personal recognizance bail, pending an appearance in the Strafford County Superior Court. Based upon his level of impairment, he was retained in protective custody at the Strafford County jail, police said.

Seacoast area DUI patrol results in 10 total arrests

Police said the wrong-way driver incident occurred during a saturation DUI patrol executed by police on Seacoast roads overnight Thursday into Friday, resulting in nine additional arrests. The patrol included Interstate 95 and Route 16 in southern Strafford County and other roadways, police said.

Strafford County sheriff charged: Mark Brave accused of stealing $19K from county, lying about affair

Five drivers were charged with driving after revocation or suspension of their licenses and/or without a license. Some of these drivers were also charged for subsequent offenses and one for circumventing their alcohol ignition interlock. Three of these arrests were on I-95 in Hampton, one on Route 16 in Dover and one on McKinley Road in Portsmouth.

The other four drivers were charged with driving under the influence, negligent and reckless driving and similar charges. These arrests came in Seabrook (I-95), North Hampton (Lafayette Road), Dover (Route 16) and Rochester (Route 16). The people arrested ranged from 21 to 65 years old and were a mix of local residents and those from Massachusetts and Maine.

The saturation patrol also resulted in 140 traffic stops with 15 citations and 127 warnings for various motor vehicle infractions, police said.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH police: Wrong-way DUI driver on Route 16 in Dover arrested