SALEM – New Hampshire State Police arrested two wrong-way drivers in less than three hours, officials reported Sunday.
On Saturday, at approximately 11:45 p.m., State Police received reports of a vehicle traveling the wrong way on Interstate 93 in Salem, namely northbound in the southbound lanes near Exit 1.
Other callers provided the dispatch center with updated information and stated that the vehicle was still driving in the wrong direction.
Police Officer Madelynn Davis was able to stop the vehicle in the left lane north of Exit 2 and identified the wrong-way driver as Julio Florentino, 68, of Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Florentino was arrested for drunk driving and reckless conduct with a deadly weapon.
At the time of his arrest, Florentino’s breath alcohol content (BAC) was reported to be more than twice the legal limit.
Early the next morning, at approximately 2:30 a.m., troopers received a call reporting another wrong-way driver traveling in the northbound lanes near Exit 5 in Londonderry.
Additional callers then reported that the vehicle had left the road near mile marker 16 after nearly colliding with another vehicle.
Trooper Tyler Duhamel located the vehicle in the center lane of the highway and determined that the driver, identified as Alexis Rodriguez, 26, of Loudon, was impaired.
Rodriguez was subsequently arrested for drunk driving and reckless conduct with a deadly weapon.
Both Florentino and Rodriguez are due to appear in court in September.
