By Tiffany Williams –
Concord, New Hampshire — A routine patrol turned into a sudden crash on a highway off-ramp, ending with a driver under arrest and a State Police cruiser damaged.
It happened Tuesday night, March 31, just before 8 p.m.
A New Hampshire State Trooper assigned to Troop D was exiting Interstate 93 South at Exit 12N in Concord, preparing to merge onto Route 3A. The cruiser was stopped at the yield sign at the end of the off-ramp.
Then, in an instant, everything changed.
A silver 2022 Ford Explorer came down the same off-ramp.
It did not stop.
The vehicle slammed into the rear of the Trooper’s cruiser.
The impact triggered an immediate response on scene, but what followed quickly shifted the focus from crash investigation to criminal charges.
The driver of the Ford Explorer was identified as 63-year-old Richard Talbot of Concord. He was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.
Despite the force of the collision, authorities say the outcome could have been far worse.
Talbot and the Trooper were both evaluated at the scene by EMS personnel and determined to be uninjured.
Inside the cruiser at the time of the crash was the Trooper’s K-9 partner, Soka.
The dog was not hurt.
Emergency crews from the Concord Fire Department responded to assist, securing the scene and supporting the investigation as troopers processed the crash.
Talbot was later released on personal recognizance bail.
He is scheduled to appear in Concord District Court on April 10.
A crash involving a marked State Police cruiser.
A failure to stop on an off-ramp.
And an arrest that underscores the continued dangers of impaired driving — even in the presence of law enforcement.