MERRIMACK, N.H. (WHDH) - A repeat drunken driver found passed out in the driver’s seat of a running car punched an officer in the face and attempted to flee on foot in Merrimack, New Hampshire Saturday evening, police said.
An officer on patrol around 5:15 p.m. found a vehicle parked out of sorts in a local parking lot and the driver, later identified as Brandon Enderson, 27, of Derry, who appeared to be slumped over, according to Merrimack police.
The officer initiated a welfare check and reportedly noticed that the vehicle was running, the window was down, and Enderson was passed out.
After several attempts to wake him by yelling and shaking him, Enderson eventually woke up, police said.
The officer observed signs of impairment and asked Enderson to conduct Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and he complied, police added.
Enderson was determined to be under the influence of intoxicating liquor at the end of the tests and when the officer went to place him under arrest, he pulled away and attempted to run, according to police.
Enderson then allegedly punched the officer in the face.
Additional officers arrived and Enderson was taken into custody after what they called a brief struggle.
Enderson is set to appear in Hillsborough Superior Court — South at a later date to face charges of driving while intoxicated — subsequent offense, two counts of resisting arrest, and assault on a police officer.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)