U-Haul heist: Man facing charges after leading police on high-speed chase in Maine and NH

ROCHESTER — A Sanbornville man is facing multiple felonies after leading police on a chase through Maine and New Hampshire while driving in a U-Haul truck.

New Hampshire State Police said Michael D. Bennett, 30, was originally the passenger of a 26-foot U-Haul truck with Arizona registration plates that was stopped by law enforcement in North Berwick, Maine, early Saturday morning. Authorities suspected the truck was involved in a theft in Sanford, Maine, earlier that evening.

When the driver of the truck stepped out of the vehicle at the request of officers, they said Bennett allegedly moved into the driver’s seat and pulled away from the scene, driving dangerously and nearly striking the original operator.

Police said what followed was a chase that weaved in and out of New Hampshire before the U-Haul became stuck in the mud in Rochester, New Hampshire. There, they said he fled on foot before being apprehended in a wooded area by a state police K9, Kaiser.

Bennett was evaluated and cleared at a local hospital, then refused the services of a bail commissioner, and was held in custody at Strafford County House of Corrections. Monday, Bennett waived his arraignment in Strafford County Superior Court, where Judge Mark Howard ordered him to be held in preventative detention.

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Bennett pleaded not guilty to his charges, which include two Class B felony charges – reckless conduct and operating after certification as a habitual offender. He also faces four misdemeanor charges – two of resisting arrest and one each of disobeying an officer, driving without giving proof.

High-speed pursuit through Maine and New Hampshire

State police troopers became aware of a U-Haul fleeing police in Maine at 12:09 p.m. Twelve minutes later, Trooper Nathan Sleight located the U-Haul on Lowell Street in Rochester and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Police say the U-Haul fled, prompting the pursuit.

Sleight followed Bennett in the U-Haul on several streets in Rochester before going onto Route 16 via exit 13. The U-Haul then entered Milton, at which time police say Bennett drove erratically at excessive speeds and periodically shutting off his exterior lights.

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At the request of state troopers, Milton police officer William Bachert deployed tire deflation devices on Route 16 near exit 17, deflating two tires on the U-Haul. Bennett allegedly then drove the U-Haul off Route 16, leading police onto Route 125 and into the town of Lebanon, Maine, on the New Hampshire border.

Once the U-Haul traveled back toward the New Hampshire border, Trooper Cameron Vetter coordinated with the deputies of the York County Sheriff’s Office to deploy additional deflation devices at the intersection of Route 202 and River Road in Lebanon. They successfully deflated an additional tire, they said, and the U-Haul then pulled into a private business at 31 Front Street in Rochester.

Police said Bennett drove the U-Haul down a dirt roadway behind the business and into an adjacent field. There, the U-Haul became stuck, and Bennett allegedly fled to nearby woods and ignored state police commands to stop. At that point, the K9 Kaiser was deployed and successfully apprehended Bennett.

Bennett was found to have an outstanding no-bail warrant issued by Strafford County Superior Court for absconding drug court supervision, according to police. Authorities also determined Bennett was on probation as a result of a prior drug possession conviction, and that his driver’s license was revoked due to him being a habitual offender.

New Hampshire State Police Troop A and Troop E Barracks were involved in the investigation. They were assisted by police from Milton, Somersworth, Barrington and the Maine towns of North Berwick, Sanford and Berwick. The York County Sheriff’s Office, Frisbie Memorial Hospital EMS, Rochester Fire Department and Rochester Truck also assisted.

Police say more charges could be coming against Bennett pending an investigation by New Hampshire State Police, along with Sanford and North Berwick police. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Nathan Sleight at Nathan.J.Sleight@dos.nh.gov.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Suspected thief in U-Haul caught after high-speed chase in Maine, NH