NH State Police cruiser damaged in crash on icy interstate

25/12/2023

CANTERBURY, N.H. (WCAX) – Investigators say a state police cruiser was damaged when it was hit on an icy New Hampshire highway.

It happened Saturday at about 11:20 p.m. on Interstate 93 north in Canterbury.

Police say troopers were responding to multiple crashes on the icy roadway at the time and Tpr. John Zavala was stopped at one of those crashes when his cruiser was hit. Investigators say he was outside his vehicle at the time and was not injured.

Troopers say Melvin Ruiz Chaperon, 38, of Chelsea, Massachusetts, was driving the vehicle that hit the cruiser.

Ruiz Chaperon was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

He’s due in court to face a charge of operating without a valid license.

Police say all the crashes and impassable road conditions forced the closure of Interstate 93 north in the area for about an hour and a half.