State Police: Overdosing Man Fleeing Accident Scene Crashes into Trooper’s Cruiser

Sun Staff Report

BEDFORD -- A New Hampshire man state police say was under the influence of drugs was arrested after his car rolled into a police cruiser attempting to pull him over on Route 3 southbound Thursday afternoon.

According to a press release from Massachusetts State Police, the accident occurred about 4:49 p.m. near exit 27. The trooper on scene removed the driver, Connor Chareth, 23, of Amherst, who was unresponsive, apparently from a drug overdose, the release stated.

“The trooper administered a dose of the overdose reversal drug Narcan to the man, who was revived,” Dave Procopio, the State Police media relations officer, stated in the release. “The suspect was then transported to Lahey Clinic in Burlington for evaluation.”

The trooper had been looking for the suspect after hearing reports of a gold Volkswagen Jetta, which was previously involved in a hit-and-run, operating erratically. After the trooper pulled the driver over in the left lane and traveled to the front of the Jetta, the suspect’s car rolled into the cruiser.

Both vehicles only had minor damage and the trooper was not injured, according to the release.

Chareth was brought to the Concord State Police Barracks to be booked. He was charged with “operating under the influence of drugs, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of a crash that caused property damage.”

State Police had no further details on the incident Thursday night.