MANCHESTER, N.H. (WHDH) - A New Hampshire man is facing criminal charges after authorities say he tossed a backpack full of marijuana in a river after crashing into a utility pole in Manchester on Monday night.
Officers responding to a report of a crash involving a pickup truck in the area of 96 River Road learned 22-year-old Patrick Clifford, of Hooksett, had been speeding when he swerved around another motorist and slammed into a utility pole, splitting it in half, according to the Manchester Police Department.
A witness told police that they watched Clifford run to the banks of the Merrimack River and throw a backpack into the water.
Officers recovered the backpack and found drug paraphernalia and marijuana stuffed inside, police said.
Clifford is slated to be arraigned in Hillsborough Superior Court later this month on charges including reckless conduct, falsifying evidence, and possession of drugs.
He has since been released on $500 cash bail.
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