THAT ROAD WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. PEOPLE ARE DRIVING WAY TOO FAST AND WE WEREN’T SURPRISED AT ALL WHEN SOMEBODY WAS KILLED ON IT. THIS IS THE AREA OF CROWN POINT ROAD IN ROCHESTER WHERE POLICE SAY JOHN PADDOCK WAS HIT AND KILLED BY A PASSING CAR WHILE TRYING TO SECURE SOMETHING ON HIS TRAILER. A WOMAN WHO WORKS JUST ACROSS THE STREET AND ASKED NOT TO BE SHOWN ON CAMERA, SAYS LOCALS KNOW ALL TOO WELL JUST HOW DANGEROUS THIS ROAD CAN BE. EVERY DAY I HAVE TO CROSS THE ROAD TO GET THE MAIL AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. PEOPLE ARE GOING WAY OVER THE SPEED LIMIT. THE GORE WAS A BRIGADIER GENERAL AND COMMANDER OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE AIR NATIONAL GUARD. FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE GUARD SAY HE HAD PLANS TO RETIRE NEXT YEAR AND WORK ON HIS FAMILY FARM. NOW, 81 YEAR OLD PAUL CLEMENT IS FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES IN THE CRASH. POLICE SAY HE NEVER STOPPED AT THE SCENE. INVESTIGATORS FOLLOWED A TIP TO CLEMENT’S HOME AND SAY DAMAGE TO HIS CAR WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE ALLEGED HIT AND RUN. WE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE HIM AND LOCATE THE VEHICLE AND ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT IT WAS IN FACT HIM THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT. POLICE TELL US MUCH OF THE LAST MONTH HAS BEEN SPENT LOOKING AT EVIDENCE, INCLUDING THE CRASH RECONSTRUCTION REPORT. INVESTIGATORS SAY THERE ARE STILL DETAILS THEY ARE PORING OVER. AND SO THERE’S THE POSSIBILITY MORE CHARGES COULD BE FILED. THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING. WE’RE STILL LOOKING INTO SOME OTHER INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED AND WAITING FOR SOME OTHER REPORTS FOR POSSIBLE FACTORS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. CLEMENT TURNED HIMSELF IN ON MONDAY AND WAS RELEASED ON PERSONAL RECOGNIZANCE. HE IS EXPECTED IN COURT EARLY NEXT MONTH. THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD DECLINED
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Man, 81, charged in connection with hit-and-run that killed New Hampshire Air National Guard commander
More than a month after the leader of New Hampshire's Air National Guard was killed in a hit-and-run crash, a Rochester man is facing criminal charges. John Pogorek, 57, was hit and killed by a passing car while securing something to his trailer on Crown Point Road. A woman who works just across the street and asked not to be shown on camera told WMUR locals know all too well how dangerous the road can be.>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<"Every day, I have to cross the road to get the mail, and it is very dangerous. People go way over the speed limit," she said. "People are driving way too fast, and we weren't surprised at all when someone was killed on it."Pogorek was a brigadier general and commander of the New Hampshire Air National Guard. Fellow members of the Guard said he had plans to retire next year to work on his family farm.Paul Clement, 81, is charged with felony conduct after a deadly accident. Police said he never stopped at the scene.Investigators followed a tip to Clement's home and said damage to his car was consistent with the alleged hit-and-run."We were able to locate the vehicle, locate him, and determine it was in fact him who was involved in the accident," Capt. Todd Pinkham, of the Rochester Police Department, said.Police said they have been spending much of the last month looking at evidence from the scene, including the crash reconstruction report.Investigators said there are details they are still looking into that could lead to more charges."The investigation is still ongoing. We're still looking into some other information we received and some other reports of possible factors that may have been involved," Pinkham said.Clement was released on personal recognizance bail and is expected in court early next month.Representatives with the New Hampshire Air National Guard declined to comment.>> Previous coverage:July 19, 2024: Fallen NH Air National Guard commander honored at Pease Air National Guard BaseJuly 9, 2024: NH Air National Guard commander killed in hit-and-run in Rochester
ROCHESTER, N.H. —
More than a month after the leader of New Hampshire's Air National Guard was killed in a hit-and-run crash, a Rochester man is facing criminal charges.
John Pogorek, 57, was hit and killed by a passing car while securing something to his trailer on Crown Point Road.
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A woman who works just across the street and asked not to be shown on camera told WMUR locals know all too well how dangerous the road can be.
>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<
"Every day, I have to cross the road to get the mail, and it is very dangerous. People go way over the speed limit," she said. "People are driving way too fast, and we weren't surprised at all when someone was killed on it."
Pogorek was a brigadier general and commander of the New Hampshire Air National Guard. Fellow members of the Guard said he had plans to retire next year to work on his family farm.
Paul Clement, 81, is charged with felony conduct after a deadly accident. Police said he never stopped at the scene.
Investigators followed a tip to Clement's home and said damage to his car was consistent with the alleged hit-and-run.
"We were able to locate the vehicle, locate him, and determine it was in fact him who was involved in the accident," Capt. Todd Pinkham, of the Rochester Police Department, said.
Police said they have been spending much of the last month looking at evidence from the scene, including the crash reconstruction report.
Investigators said there are details they are still looking into that could lead to more charges.
"The investigation is still ongoing. We're still looking into some other information we received and some other reports of possible factors that may have been involved," Pinkham said.
Clement was released on personal recognizance bail and is expected in court early next month.
Representatives with the New Hampshire Air National Guard declined to comment.
>> Previous coverage:
- July 19, 2024: Fallen NH Air National Guard commander honored at Pease Air National Guard Base
- July 9, 2024: NH Air National Guard commander killed in hit-and-run in Rochester
