Two Hillsborough Police Department officers ended up in the hospital early Monday after a man police say they had pulled over for speeding and suspected impairment sped off, then drove head-on into their cruiser on Old Milk Road in Antrim. The driver, identified as 36-year-old David Bennett of Winchester, continued driving after the collision and was stopped on Turner Hill Road before Antrim officers assisted with taking him into custody; he now faces nearly a dozen charges.
According to WMUR, Antrim police initially stopped Bennett after they said he was driving too fast and appeared to be under the influence. Police said he then drove off before officers could take him into custody, touching off a chase that drew in Hillsborough officers called to assist Antrim police with the response around 2:30 a.m. Monday. The pursuit followed an officer spotting a car speeding through the downtown area, according to WCVB.
Cruiser Struck Head-On on Old Milk Road
Officers tracked the car to Old Milk Road in Antrim and attempted to stop it, but the station's report says Bennett then drove head-on into the officers' cruiser. Per mykeenenow.com, Hillsboro police had located the vehicle on Old Milk Road and attempted to stop it before the Nissan Rogue slammed into the cruiser.
Both officers inside the struck cruiser suffered non-life-threatening injuries, per WCVB's reporting, and were taken for medical evaluation. The Keene Sentinel reports that the officers were taken to the hospital but suffered no significant injuries, according to the Keene Sentinel. Bennett continued driving after the collision and was stopped on Turner Hill Road before Antrim officers assisted with taking him into custody.
Scene Cleared With Fire and Ambulance Crews
Multiple police cruisers, an ambulance and a fire truck responded to the crash scene in Antrim, and the damaged cruiser was towed away around 4 a.m., according to WCVB's report.
Bennett was charged with reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, aggravated DWI and two counts of second-degree assault, among other offenses, the mykeenenow.com report states. Under New Hampshire law, a person commits reckless conduct by recklessly engaging in behavior that places or may place another person in danger of serious bodily injury, and the offense becomes a Class B felony when a deadly weapon is used, according to the New Hampshire Revised Statutes. Bennett was arraigned Monday afternoon, and the judge took the matter of bail under advisement, per WMUR.
Part of a Rising Trend in NH Police Pursuits
The Antrim crash adds to a string of recent New Hampshire pursuits that have ended in injuries. State troopers and a Littleton police officer were hurt when police vehicles engaged in a pursuit crashed on Interstate 93 in Littleton in late January, according to WMUR. In a separate incident, a fleeing driver crashed after trying to avoid spike strips near Route 111 and Pickpocket Road in Exeter, striking a vehicle stopped along the roadside and injuring its operator, according to the New Hampshire State Police.
Pursuit data obtained by WMUR shows the number of chases involving State Police has climbed steadily in recent years, from 77 in 2019 to 103 in 2023 and 130 in 2024. State Police have said that “pursuits involve complex and sensitive tactical considerations” and that troopers respond as appropriate to ensure the safety of all roadway users, per the same WMUR report. That reporting also noted that most of the agency's pursuit-policy document, including provisions on when a pursuit should be initiated or terminated, was redacted.
