City man charged in hit-run that claimed life of NH Air National Guard commander

Paul Clement ;inset, former commander of the New Hampshire Air National Guard John Pogorek (Clement/Rochester Police photo; Pogorek/courtesy)

ROCHESTER - The Rochester man behind the wheel of a vehicle that struck and killed the commander of the New Hampshire Air National Guard last month has been arrested.
Paul Clement, 81, of Rochester, was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged in the hit-and-run that occurred July 8 taking the life of John Pogorek, 57, of Strafford.
Clement turned himself in after Rochester Police issued a warrant for his arrest.
Clement is charged with Felony Conduct After an Accident/resulting in injury/death. He was released on personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Strafford Superior Court on Sept. 2 at 8:30 a.m.
The accident occurred around 5:20 p.m. on July 8 in the area of Crown Point Road in Rochester. Officers who responded were told that Pogorek had pulled his truck and trailer to the side of the road to fix a strap that was holding down hay he was hauling. While resecuring a strap a vehicle struck Pogorek. The suspect vehicle did not stop and continued traveling down the road. Pogorek was pronounced deceased at the scene of the accident.
Not long after the accident, police received a tip that Clement was the driver of the vehicle that struck Pogorek, Rochester Police said in a release today. Police located Clement and the vehicle, and the vehicle was impounded.
Pogorek was named commander of the New Hampshire Air National Guard in 2022, and his duties included keeping Adj. General David J. Mikolaities and Gov. Chris Sununu apprised of all matters related to the New Hampshire Air National Guard. He was also responsible for all operations at the base.
The accident is still being actively investigated and may result in additional charges, police say.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Rochester Police Department at 603-330-7128. You can also provide information and remain anonymous by calling the Rochester Crime Line at 603-335-6500 or Text to: CRIMES (274637) Body of Text: TEXT4CASH + your tip. Cash rewards are offered