A woman driving a Chevy Malibu lost control of her car and collided with a New Hampshire State Police cruiser just south of Interstate 93’s Exit 16 in Concord, State Police said.
At about 7:20 a.m. on Monday, 23-year-old Alton resident Julie Petelle hit Trooper Joshua Farmer’s cruiser after her car slid across two lanes of traffic and into the crossover where Farmer was parked perpendicular to the road. Neither Farmer nor Petelle were injured.
Petelle told State Police that she lost control of her car after the vehicle in front of her braked suddenly. She was issued a summons for “following too closely,” after telling police that she was driving too close to the car ahead.
State law prohibits following another car “more closely than is reasonable and prudent” and requires leaving space for another car to enter the lane when possible. Violation of the law comes with a $100 fine.
Monday’s collision was the fourth State Police cruiser to be struck by a motorist in 2022, according to State Police Public Information Officer Amber Lagace.