Man leads state, local police on nighttime chase on I-95 with car lights turned off

Michael Anthony Arrington (NHSP photo)

PORTSMOUTH - A Florida man racked up a slew of felony and misdemeanor charges Thursday night after leading local and State Police on a chase from Portsmouth to Kittery and back to Portsmouth while often driving recklessly on Interstate-95 with no lights on.

New Hampshire State Police got involved around 10:05 p.m. after receiving information regarding a vehicle that had fled from the Portsmouth Police Department on Islington Street in the City of Portsmouth minutes earlier.

Troopers were provided a description of the suspect vehicle which was later identified as a 2014 Audi Q5 bearing Florida registration plates. About five minutes after receiving this information troopers located the suspect vehicle parked at fuel pumps at a nearby Shell gas station Route 1 Bypass North, according to a statement sent out today.

As troopers made contact with the operator of the suspect vehicle, he started the suspect vehicle and accelerated out of the parking lot, dragging a trooper for a short distance until they.

Subsequently, the suspect vehicle fled at a high rate of speed while displaying no exterior lighting, thereafter, entering the Kittery, Maine at which point troopers lost visual contact with the vehicle. Moments later, the suspect vehicle was briefly spotted by the Kittery Police Department but visual contact was again lost.

While canvassing the area for the suspect vehicle, Sgt. Gary Wood Jr, of the NHSP located the vehicle traveling along I-95 South in the City of Portsmouth just minutes after Shell gas station encounter. Wood attempted to initiate a traffic stop at which time the operator of the suspect vehicle extinguished the exterior lighting of the vehicle and again fled at a high rate of speed.

After a brief pursuit, the suspect vehicle came to a stop and additional Troopers arrived on scene to assist. The lone occupant within the suspect vehicle was taken into custody without further incident.

During the initial investigation, the suspect was determined to be impaired and originally provided a false identity. Following further investigation, the suspect was identified as Michael Anthony Arrington, 28, of Orlando, Fla.

Arrington was charged with felony reckless conduct, felony assault, felony disobeying a officer, misdemeanor resisting arrest, aggravated DUI and operating After revocation or suspension.

Arrington refuses the services of a bail commissioner and was held in custody at the Rockingham County House of Corrections pending an appearance today in Rockingham Superior Court.

The trooper who was dragged by the suspect vehicle at the onset of this incident sustained minor injuries and was later treated and discharged from a local hospital.

This incident remains under investigation and anyone with information pertaining to this investigation is asked to contact Sergeant Gary Wood Jr. at Gary.J.WoodJr@dos.nh.gov.