NH Man Arrested in State Trooper Hit-and-Run Incident

MERRIMACK, NH - New Hampshire State Police have arrested a man they believe allegedly struck a state trooper on May 22, and then allegedly fled the scene, according to a press statement.

Eric Jackson, 43, of Amherst, was arrested on May 25, 2016, and charged with conduct after an accident, a felony, and motorist duties when approaching highway emergencies (Move Over Law).

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the New Hampshire State Police. It does not indicate a conviction. Click this link, which explains New Hampshire Patch's police log name removal policy.

At around 2:30 a.m. on May 22, 2016, a state trooper was struck on the Everett Turnpike near Exit 10 in Merrimack by an SUV – believed to be a Chevy Trailblazer – that later, reportedly fled the scene.

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In the first 24 hours of the investigation, according to Lt. N.A. Noyes of the NHSP, a “person of interest” was developed in the case. In the two days that followed that, troopers “obtained an abundance of evidence linking the person of interest to the incident,” according to Noyes.

A warrant was issued for Jackson’s arrest and he was taken in to custody earlier today. He was arraigned at around 1 p.m. in Merrimack District Court.

The injured trooper – Trooper Ryan Hickey – has been discharged from the hospital and was at the arraignment today, according to Noyes.

“The New Hampshire State Police and Trooper Hickey want to specifically thank the members of the Merrimack Police Department that responded immediately to the incident early Sunday morning to assist at the scene,” Noyes noted. “Those police officers were able to immediately divert southbound traffic and allow the troopers on scene to tend to Trooper Hickey and preserve valuable evidence. We also would like to thank members of the Nashua and Hudson Police Departments as well as Troopers from the Massachusetts State Police who attempted to locate the vehicle driven by Eric Jackson.”

Noyes also gave thanks to one of Hickey’s colleagues, Trooper Jake Wood, who assisted at the scene.

“During a very brief and stressful incident, Trooper Wood was not only able to render immediate aid to Trooper Hickey, but he was also able to identify the type of vehicle as an older model, light colored Chevrolet Trailblazer and relay this information to dispatch,” Noyes said. “This allowed other troopers and surrounding law enforcement agencies, as well as emergency medical personnel from the town of Merrimack, to respond immediately and accordingly. Trooper Wood did an outstanding job of controlling this situation.”

Photos outside of the Merrimack District Court provided by Jeffrey Hastings of Frame of Mind Photography. FrameofMindPhoto.com.