It was a wild scene overnight on two major New Hampshire highways after a police chase led to a woman barricading herself inside her car.
It all started shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday, when state police responded to assist Londonderry police after they encountered a suspicious vehicle parked near Citizens Bank on Route 102 in their town.
When Londonderry officers tried to speak with the driver, she fled in her vehicle and a pursuit began westboudn on Route 102, heading toward neighboring Hudson. The driver then pulled into a Circle K gas station at the Londonderry town line.
Londonderry and Hudson police attempted to stop the vehicle from leaving the gas station, but the driver went down an embankment, hit a guardrail and got onto Route 102 headed back toward Londonderry.
The driver then entered Interstate 93 north from Exit 4, at which point state police troopers took over the pursuit and deployed tire deflation devices in an attempt to stop the car. The driver continued north, taking the left ramp onto Interstate 293. The driver attempted to drive north in the southbound lanes on I-293, but a trooper used his cruiser to stop the car.
The driver refused to get out of their car, and the highway was shut down for about two hours while troopers and Londonderry officers tried to negotiate with the driver. The driver was ultimately taken into custody after a state police K9 and “less-lethal munitions” were deployed, state police said.
The driver was identified by police as 34-year-old Heather Lewis, of Merrimack. They said she was taken to Elliot Hospital in Manchester to be treated for minor injuries.
Lewis isnow facing reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and several other charges and is expected to be arraigned in Manchester District Court later this week.
