A Merrimack County grand jury has indicted a Loudon firefighter accused of causing a rollover crash that killed his friend on June 16.
Tyler Dempsey, 23, of Loudon faces alternative counts of negligent homicide in the death of Ryan Christie, who was one of two passengers in the truck that night, according to court documents. One charge alleges that Dempsey was driving at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the truck, while the other accuses Dempsey of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Dempsey, who is a part-time EMT and firefighter with the Loudon Fire Department, is on administrative leave pending the resolution of the criminal case.
Police said Dempsey, Christie and Leandra Jimmo – a backseat passenger – had gone out for drinks together at TGI Fridays on Loudon Road and Tandy’s Pub on Eagle Square in Concord and were on their way home about 10:50 p.m. when Dempsey lost control of the truck near 68 Bee Hole Road. Dempsey was attempting to turn left when the truck veered off the roadway, struck a tree on the passenger’s side and rolled over, authorities said at the time.
Before police arrived at the crash scene, Dempsey had pulled Jimmo out of the truck. She was taken by ambulance to Concord Hospital for treatment of a minor head injury and was later released. Dempsey also checked on Christie who was pronounced dead at the scene.
New Hampshire State Police Sgt. Eric Shirley wrote in an affidavit that Dempsey’s speech was slurred when he spoke with officers. Shirley wrote that officers also observed that Dempsey smelled of alcohol and that his eyes were glassy and bloodshot.
When police spoke to Jimmo at Concord Hospital, she said Dempsey had consumed a “normal amount” of alcohol. She said he had more than one Guinness beer at TGI Fridays and at least one more drink at Tandy’s Pub.
Dempsey failed field sobriety tests at the crash scene and was placed under arrest. He is out of jail on bail conditions and under the supervision of the county’s pretrial services program pending trial.
He is next scheduled to appear Wednesday in Merrimack County Superior Court in Concord for a dispositional conference.