CLAREMONT – State police released the name of the man whose erratic, high-speed driving from Vermont to New Hampshire endangered other drivers and brought Main Street traffic to a standstill during rush hour Wednesday.
Richard Duncan, 40, of Proctor, Vermont, was arrested by state police at the culmination of the chase.
According to the police narrative, they received numerous calls around 4:48 p.m. Wednesday, reporting a black Ford F150 pickup truck driving erratically eastbound on Main Street. A Claremont police officer at the scene of an unrelated collision on Washington Street saw the truck drive through the collision scene at high speed, nearly striking a Claremont firefighter. The officer broadcast a description of the vehicle and alerted the Newport police department.
Newport police located the truck traveling on Main Street in Newport at around 4:56 p.m. and signaled the driver to stop, which he did not do. Newport police then pursued the truck back onto John Stark Highway into Claremont. The driver left the roadway on Washington Street, stopped the vehicle, and fled on foot. He was apprehended shortly thereafter by New Hampshire state police troopers.
Duncan was transported to the Sullivan County jail to await arraignment on the following day. He was charged with three counts of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possession of controlled drugs with intent to distribute, and one count of armed career criminal.
The case is still under investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Claremont police detective Capt. Stephen A. Lee at (603) 542-7010 or [email protected], or New Hampshire state police trooper Eric Fosterling at (603) 223-4381 or [email protected].
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