CONCORD, N.H. (WHDH) - Police arrested a man Sunday for allegedly stealing an Amazon truck in New Hampshire and leading officers on a chase through several communities, officials said.
At 2:45 p.m. the Concord Police Department received a report of a stolen Amazon delivery truck that was taken while making deliveries on S. Fruit Street.
State police said they were able to track down the truck by cellphone, and tried to conduct a motor vehicle stop on Interstate 93 in Hooksett. Troopers chased the truck through Hooksett and Manchester after it refused to stop until the truck came to a dead end on Elm Street in Manchester.
“I said, this is insane, that there would be, there were police cars, maybe 10 of them,” Todd Atkinson, who lives in the area and shared surveillance footage, said. “Three o’clock working on my computer, minding my business and then all of a sudden wrrrrr wrrr,” Atkinson said, describing the sirens. “It was something else, I’d never seen anything like it.”
Wendy Green, who witnessed had dash cam footage of the chase, described the unusual scene.
“I stopped at the stop sign and next thing I know this Amazon truck goes flying by, and the next thing I see are state troopers behind it, and then the Manchester Police,” Green said.
Police said the driver, later identified as 40-year-old Richard Royea, left the truck and refused to comply with direction from state police. Officials said they used the K-9 unit to finally apprehend the man.
Royea was taken to Concord Hospital to be evaluated and treated for injuries, as well as a trooper on scene. The trooper was discharged. Police did not provide an update on the driver’s condition, except that he was not available for arraignment Monday as he is still being hospitalized for a dog bite from the arrest.
Police charged Royea with Receiving Stolen Property, Resisting Arrest/Detention, Aggravated Driving while Intoxicated, Disobeying a Police Officer, Reckless Operation, and License Required (Operating without a license). He will also receive motor vehicle theft related charges.
A year ago Royea had been arrested on similar charges after he was pulled over, driving a stolen car under the influence.
According to officials Royea refused bail and will be arraigned in Merrimack Superior Court with a pending court date.
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