BY SUSAN WARE

In the early morning hours, a vehicle swerved into the breakdown lane on Route 101, and heads straight toward a police officer sitting in his cruiser on a traffic stop.

Officer Kevin Cashman had pulled over a vehicle on Route 101 at 3:15 a.m. on Wednesday, July 4. All his emergency lights were on when Cashman was about to leave his vehicle and approach the traffic stop. He checked his rearview mirror and saw a vehicle coming straight at him, driving at a high speed in the breakdown lane, said Candia Police Chief Michael McGillen.

At the last moment, the vehicle moved back into the travel lane, just missing the police cruiser, said McGillen.

“The officer was pretty shaken up by the incident. He never made contact with the vehicle he had stopped and took off after the vehicle that almost hit him,” said McGillen.

Cashman called for assistance from Raymond police and the state police because he believed an impaired driver was in the vehicle, said McGillen. 

The driver was Ashley Brown, 21, of Barrington and passenger was Felix Urrutia, 34, of Barrington.

Brown told police that she and Urrutia were arguing and that he grabbed the wheel.

“We believe that it was intentional. We believe that Urrutia intended on hitting the cruiser,” said McGillen.

Urrutia was arrested and charged with felony reckless conduct. He is being held on $10,000 cash bail at Rockingham County Jail.

“Urrutia has an extensive record that includes DWI, a felony concealed weapons charge, burglary and larceny,” said McGillen.

No charges have been brought against Brown, although the case is still under investigation.

“This could have had a very tragic outcome. We are very lucky,” said McGillen.