RUMNEY — A man who crashed a friend’s SUV and then stole and crashed a truck was arrested at his home after a New Hampshire State Police K-9 tracked him down on Monday.
At around 12:38 a.m. on March 27, NH State Police Troop F responded to a hit-and-run accident on Depot Street near Coffin Lane.
An investigation revealed Joseph P. Vaillancourt III had caused a Jeep Liberty to crash into a snowbank from the passenger seat.
After leaving the scene, Vaillancourt stole a cable truck from a nearby business and crashed into the Jeep again, while his friend remained in the driver’s seat, before fleeing in the stolen vehicle.
Trooper Vargas Vargas later spotted the cable truck on Depot Street.
Despite the cruiser’s activated lights and siren, Vaillancourt failed to stop, eventually abandoning the truck in the 500 block of Depot Street and running away.
Trooper Davis with K-9 Draco, along with Trooper Vargas Vargas, Trooper Carlson, and Officer Cass of the Plymouth Police Department, pursued Vaillancourt on foot.
They discovered discarded clothing and continued the track to Vaillancourt’s residence on Monroe Drive, where he was apprehended without further incident.
Found with five bench warrants for contempt of court and a suspended license, Vaillancourt now faces multiple charges, including reckless conduct, theft by unauthorized taking, aggravated DUI, attempting to elude police, DUI impairment, disobeying a police officer, driving after suspension, criminal mischief, and resisting arrest.
Following his arraignment in the 2nd Circuit Court, District Division in Plymouth, Vaillancourt is being held at the Grafton County Department of Corrections on preventative detention.
