High School Student Charged with DUI

A Portsmouth juvenile is facing charges of driving under the influence after he reportedly swerved erratically in front of a police cruiser on Route 24 and then begged police to “help him” because he was a “three sport athlete.”

Police said the officer was heading north on Route 24 on Saturday early at 2:49 a.m. when he saw the vehicle being driven by the juvenile drift into the opposite lane by three or four feet twice in a few moments.

Once stopped, police found a juvenile driver and two passengers — one 18, the other a juvenile. The driver reportedly smelled like alcohol.

The juvenile reportedly told police that he had drank at a high school basketball game that had occurred earlier and asked multiple times if police could “help him” because he was an athlete. He also stated that he “made a mistake” several times.

The juvenile failed a field sobriety test, police said, and was taken into police custody.

The case will be tried in family court.

The other juvenile in the car was released to the custody of a guardian and the 18-year-old was allowed to leave the scene.