LONDONDERRY, NH – Londonderry Police arrested a man they say drove his cart into a person driving a lawnmower at a condominium complex on Bayberry Lane Monday afternoon, and then fled the scene.
Londonderry Police Capt. Patrick Cheetham said they arrested Justin Locke, 38, of Londonderry after a search of the area near the accident with the help of a K9 unit and Merrimack Police.
Locke was charged with reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and conduct after an accident resulting in serious injury, both felonies. He was also charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and conduct after an accident resulting in property damage.
Police first received the call at about 4:10 p.m., with a report that a driver had plowed into a landscape worker driving a lawnmower. When police arrived they found Locke’s car abandoned nearby and began a search of the wooded area.
Cheetham said at 4:30 p.m. a homeowner in the area called to report they saw a man fitting Locke’s description, bleeding from the head, running into the woods behind his property. Police ultimately caught up with Locke in the woods by Lexington Avenue, which is south of where the accident took place.
Locke lives at a residence on Pendleton Lane, less than half a mile away from the accident.
Dave Fairburn, the owner of Derry landscaping company North Point Outdoors, said he had a crew of six employees working a lawn maintenance job at the condo complex, called Rolling Meadows, on Monday.
One was in the process of driving a lawnmower around the front of a truck to stow it in the back after the job was complete, when Locke allegedly struck him and pushed the lawnmower into the front of the company truck, Fairburn said.
He said the lawnmower operator was injured and another worker was shook-up by the experience.
“They’re in good hands and they’re recovering,” Fairburn said.
Fairburn drove to the scene as soon as he heard about it. He said police arrived within five minutes and quickly apprehended the driver.
“It could have been more serious. I’m just thankful that it’s not,” Fairburn said.
He estimates the damage to his equipment was in the tens of thousands of dollars.
