Rider Crashes Motorcycle In Concord’s South End, Flees Burning Bike Scene: Watch

CONCORD, NH — An attempted stop of a possibly stolen motorcycle by New Hampshire State Police on Interstate 93 led to a crash and fire in the South End on Saturday — and a manhunt around the city.

Around 1 a.m., a state trooper on I-93 south, attempted to stop a motorcycle between Exits 13 and 12. The trooper said its license plate was not visible but the rider took off after initially stopping, according to scanner chatter.

The trooper did not chase the motorcyclist but, instead, stopped another vehicle with a vanity license plate moments after the rider left the area. The state trooper said the stopped vehicle with the vanity plate had the same logo as the motorcycle.

A few minutes later, Concord police dispatch began receiving multiple calls about a fiery motorcycle crash at the intersection of South Main Street and Broadway. The rider of the bike fled the scene, according to witnesses. Concord fire and rescue teams were requested to douse the fire.

The trooper left the other traffic stop and headed to the motorcycle crash. They claimed the vehicle's driver shut the car's lights off before the stop. They said the driver, a woman, said she had stopped because the motorcyclist stopped. The driver also gave the trooper a couple of names of the man on the motorcycle.

“However, I don’t think she is being very truthful with me,” the trooper said.

Other state troopers, hearing all that was going on, began heading to the crash scene.

A Concord officer confirmed to dispatch the motorcycle was the same one state police were involved with earlier.

No description of the rider was given except they were wearing a red helmet and appeared to be a man. Witnesses told police the rider ran north on South Main Street. The officer said he could not go after the rider due to the motorcycle “being fully engulfed in flames,” adding, “I don’t know if this is going to blow up or not.”

Witnesses described the rider as a white man wearing a blue jacket, possibly denim, and pants. He was about 5 feet, 8 inches tall.

Police canvassed the area and also requested a K-9 unit. State police also ran info about one of the names given up by the female driver. They described the man as white and around 6 feet, 2 inches tall. An officer told dispatch the vehicle she was driving was a red Hyundai Sonata. A dispatcher, while researching the motorcycle, a Suzuki RX, said it might be stolen.

An officer reported the woman connected to the car appeared to be texting a cell phone left by the rider at the crash scene.

Later, after checking the VIN and double-checking the registration, the dispatcher told the officer they believed the plate was connected to a recovered motorcycle at a previous incident the officer was involved with at the McDonald’s Restaurant about two weeks ago.

Madeline Smith, who has been involved in several crimes in the city for two decades, was arrested on felony receiving stolen property as well as receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, driving after revocation or suspension, and motor vehicle violations on July 9.

After some back and forth, all involved realized the plate did not match the stolen bike, but the VIN did.

State police put out a notice to Bow police as well as cab companies in the area. One of the suspects involved was also known to frequent the 7-Eleven on South Main Street, state police dispatch said.

Officers and the K-9 unit began tracking the rider, leading them to the Hope Avenue and Rockingham Street area of the South End.

The watch commander told officers in the field firefighters spotted a man on West Street near South Main Street who fled after seeing the fire truck driving by. Officers then headed to that area to search for the man to see if he was involved. The man turned out to be a boy and was unrelated to the incident.

The tracker continued onto McKinley, Dunklee, and Matthew streets and Broadway.

While searching and getting a first name from a cellphone, dispatch suggested the suspect might be a different man than one mentioned by state police who previously lived in the South End.

According to reports on Patch, the man had previously been involved in motorcycle thefts in the region. One officer said he used to frequent an apartment on Matthew Street.

Just before 2 a.m., a jacket was found across the street from Garry’s Service Center on South Main Street. A red motorcycle helmet was found in the area of Wilfred Avenue and South Main Street a few minutes later.

A tow truck was called for the motorcycle and message was left for its owner. One officer remarked that it was “completely torched.”

Over on Matthew Street, state police contacted a tenant in one of the apartments. She stated the suspect was not there and then, they cleared the scene.

Other officers continued canvassing the area, including venturing down to all the businesses around Big Jim’s Home Center on South Main Street.

Other officers also went to addresses on the Concord Heights while troopers went to Washington Street to see if anyone showed up there, according to scanner chatter.

State police said the suspect was not at the Washington Street apartment and cleared from the scene.

Police were then sent to the fatal motorcycle crash on Mountain Road.

NEWS 603 posted a video from the motorcycle crash scene on Facebook.

Concord NH Patch will update this post when more information becomes available.

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