A Massachusetts man was arrested in Concord early Thursday morning after a high-speed chase on Interstate 93 and a lengthy foot pursuit through the woods.
The driver, Jessy O. Rodriguez Ruiz, 38, of Lawrence, Mass., initially caught the attention of a New Hampshire State Police trooper on I-93 in Windham after his vehicle struck a guardrail and then took off at about 12:30 a.m., police said. Trooper Eric Torrens made an attempt to stop the 1998 Honda Accord but Rodriguez Ruiz accelerated and continued north on I-93.
Torrens said that Rodriguez Ruiz was driving at speeds of more than 100 mph at times.
The crashed vehicle made it to Concord, approximately 35 miles north, where it briefly exited the highway at Exit 13. While driving into the city, Rodriquez Ruiz drove over a curbed island at an intersection and then re-entered the highway in the wrong direction, police said.
Troopers lost sight of Rodriguez Ruiz’s Honda for a short time but again located him as he continued to travel north on the southbound side of I-93 in Concord.
Police said he then reversed direction before getting off the highway at Exit 16. At that point, he took off on foot and led police on a chase through the woods. A police dog responded to the scene and ultimately located Rodriguez Ruiz in the woods along a dirt trail.
He faces charges of aggravated driving while intoxicated, reckless conduct, possession of narcotic drugs, transportation of drugs, disobeying a police officer, criminal mischief, conduct after an accident and operating after suspension for a prior drunk-driving incident. He was released on personal recognizance and is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 14 in Merrimack County Superior Court in Concord.
Police said Rodriguez Ruiz also had two pending warrants for his arrest out of Salem’s district court but did not provide further information about the warrants.
Police ask anyone with information about the incident Thursday to contact Trooper Torrens at Eric.Torrens@dos.nh.gov or 603-223-3622.