Crash Involving State Police Trooper And Hampton Police Officer

HAMPTON, N.H. – A New Hampshire State Police Trooper and an officer from the Hampton Police Department suffered minor injuries after their cruisers collided.

At 12:37 a.m. on Friday, July 5, while on patrol and conducting traffic enforcement, Trooper Clark Brighton of the Troop A barracks attempted to catch up to a vehicle without headlights on along Route 101. As Trooper Brighton’s Dodge Charger crossed the intersection with Landing Road, a Ford Explorer from the Hampton Police Department, driven by Officer Timothy Vaughan, also entered the intersection from Landing Road and a crash occurred. Trooper Brighton and Officer Vaughan were evaluated by emergency medical personnel and a section of Route 101 was temporarily closed to traffic.

The preliminary investigation indicates Trooper Brighton entered the intersection on a green light when Officer Vaughan, who had been manually operating the traffic light following July 4 celebrations at Hampton Beach, simultaneously entered the intersection on a red light while attempting to reset the traffic light sequence.

All aspects of the crash remain under investigation. Anyone with information that may assist in the investigation is asked to contact Sgt. Matthew Locke at Matthew.T.Locke@DOS.NH.GOV.

No further information is available at this time.