New Hampshire State Police cruiser being struck on Interstate 93. The incident occurred late at night on December 23, as Troopers from the NHSP TroopD barracks attended to several motor vehicle crashes near Canterbury, NH.
Around 11:19 p.m., while responding to an accident on the northbound lanes of I-93, a motorist lost control and hit the parked cruiser of Trooper Zavala. Fortunately, Trooper Zavala was not inside his vehicle at the time and escaped injury. The driver, identified as 38-year-old Melvin Ruiz Chaperon from Chelsea, MA, was taken to a local hospital bearing minor wounds. According to a post on the New Hampshire State Police's Facebook page, he will face charges for Operating without a Valid License (Misdemeanor B).
The aftermath caused cascading effects along the interstate. The crash scene, swelled by additional accidents and the unwelcoming road conditions, prompted authorities to halt the northbound traffic on I-93 for about ninety minutes.
New Hampshire State Police were backed by the Canterbury Fire Department, New Hampshire Department of Transportation, and local towing services including New England Truck Center-Concord and Matt Brown’s Truck Repair, ensuring the interstate returned to a navigable state as swiftly as possible.
