By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
CLAREMONT, N.H. — A pair of juveniles led Claremont Police on a middle-of-the-night New Year’s chase, where spike strips were utilized multiple times before the car crashed in Opera House Square.
According to Chief Brent Wilmot, on Jan. 1 at 1:45 a.m., Claremont officers heard on the radio that there was a pursuit coming into town on Charlestown Road. Officers set up on Charlestown Road in the area of McGee Toyota and set up “tire deflation devices” in the roadway.
“A short time later, they saw a black Mercedes SUV coming into town at a high rate of speed, followed by a Walpole police car with lights and sirens going,” Wilmot said. “The car drives over the spike strips and deflates some of the tires.”
A third Claremont officer was set up at Draper’s Corners, and more spike strips were deployed. The car then ran over this set of strips, deflating more tires. The vehicle continued northbound on Pleasant Street, traveling the wrong way down what is a one-way road.
“At the time there was pedestrian foot traffic on Pleasant Street,” Wilmot said. “The driver was not able to negotiate the turn at the end of the one-way, and crashes into the granite curbing at Opera House Square.”
Two occupants exited the vehicle and fled on foot down Tremont Street into the High Street neighborhood. The K-9 unit, Jocko, was deployed and subsequently led to finding the suspects hiding behind a garage on High Street.
“They were taken into custody and ultimately identified as juveniles, as such further information about their identity or charges cannot be released at this time,” Wilmot said.
Wilmot said that this was a busy night for the Claremont police Department, as they were still investigating the accident at Arrowhead Recreation Area that sent five people to the hospital. This incident involved a pickup truck hitting four pedestrians, pinning them to a car, and sending them to the hospital with serious injuries.
At about 4 a.m., Claremont Police officers also responded to a domestic violence call where officers kicked a resident’s door down as the incident could be seen by officers through a window. Wilmot said both parties fled out the backdoor, including the victim, and that “nobody was cooperative.”
There was also a commercial burglary alarm, and there were tough weather conditions that led to the police calling out to the Department of Public Works for assistance.
“It was a testament to how unpredictable police work can be, but Claremont Police officers stand ready to handle anything that might come at them on any given shift,” Wilmot said. “They were still investigating the truck crash when this came in, and still investigating this when the domestic came in.”
Wilmot declined to reveal the age or hometowns of the suspects, or if they were put under arrest, saying it was because they were juveniles.
Wilmot thanked the Cornish Police Department and the N.H. State Police for their assistance. Anyone with information can call Sgt. Trevor Dickerman of the Claremont Police Department at 603-542-9538.
