A Vermont man is facing several charges after crashing into a New Hampshire State Trooper on Thanksgiving.
New Hampshire State Police say they responded to a number of weather-related calls from Thursday's snowstorm, with dozens of crashes reported and vehicles off teh road on Interstate 89 -- mostly between Warner and Lebanon.
According to police, a trooper was assisting one driver who had gone off the road at around 10:11 a.m on I-89 southbound in Sutton, with the fully marker cruiser's flashing blue emergency lights activated.
There was also a fully marked Department of Transportation pickup with amber lights leading up to the scene, directing drivers to ‘Move Over’ with an arrow on an electronic messaging board, police added.
While the Trooper was in the right breakdown lane assisting the driver who had gone off the road, a black Honda Accord that was traveling at speeds excessive for the existing road conditions slid on the snow and slush, striking the back of the state police cruiser.
The Accord, unable to stop, then slid into the pickup truck of a fire chief who had responded to the initial crash scene.
The trooper and the Accord driver were evaluated at New London Hospital for minor injuries, police said.
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The Accord driver -- identified as 22-year-old Daniel Poroj, of Shelburne, Vt. -- was summonsed to appear in Hillsborough District Court on March 18, 2025. Police say he's facing charges of operating without a valid license, negligent driving, unregistered vehicle, duty when approaching a highway emergency (Move Over law) and speed too fast for existing road conditions. It wasn't immediately clear if he had obtained an attorney.
State police are reminding drivers that New Hampshire law requires them to slow down, move over and give a wide berth to highway emergencies, including stationary police, fire, EMS, tow and roadside assistance vehicles. If a crash or first responders have blocked a lane, drivers should maintain a reduced speed and give plenty of space without endangering oncoming traffic.
