NH I-95 Crash: Police Officer Critically Hurt; Teen Arrested

NORTH HAMPTON, NH — An off-duty police officer riding a motorcycle on Interstate 95 in North Hampton suffered life-threatening injuries Sunday after police said an out-of-control teenage driver veered into the opposite lane of traffic crashed into him head-on. Louis Remigo, 55, a police officer in Somerville, Massachusetts, was hospitalized with serious injuries, according to New Hampshire State Police. The teenager, Michael Ricci, 18, of Burlington, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged with reckless conduct.

Ricci, uninjured in the crash, was held on $10,000 bail pending an arraignment Tuesday in Seabrook District Court. The teenager was racing cars in the moments leading up to the crash, witnesses told police. (Subscribe to free daily newsletters and breaking news alerts from New Hampshire Patch sites.)

Remigo on Monday was in critical condition at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. Somerville Police Chief David Fallon and the city's deputy chiefs were at the hospital with him.

Ricci was driving a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300, police said.

"According to witnesses at the scene (Ricci) was racing other vehicles," New Hampshire State Police said in a statement. "(Ricci) abruptly traversed through the restricted access crossover at mile marker 8.8 into oncoming southbound traffic colliding with a red 2003 Harley Davidson operated by Louis REMIGIO."

Two Maine women in a Subaru crashed into Ricci's vehicle an the occupants suffered minor injuries. Two other vehicles hit debris; those occupants were not hurt.

In 2015, Somerville police honored Remigo with a commendation.

"He rides for the department at almost every funeral and special event," Somerville police said in a statement at the time. "He maintains the fleet of Harley Davidson motorcycles for safety and inspections. He responds to request for speed studies, traffic complaints, and high-visibility enforcement. He responds from home for serious motor vehicle accidents. He routinely assists the Narcotics Unit with measurement for drug cases in school zones and parks, and testifies at these cases. Louis does it all, and seeks no recognition. He truly goes beyond the call of duty."

Related:

Burlington Teen Charged In Crash That Critically Injured Somerville Police Officer

Photo: Michael Ricci's mugshot. (Credit: WHDH)

Alex Newman (Patch Staff) and Dave Copeland (Patch Staff) contributed to this report