New Hampshire man accused of killing retired police sergeant in hit-and-run, dumping car in woods

A New Hampshire man is accused with fatally hitting a retired police sergeant as she rode a bike and then fleeing the scene.

Kingston Police Department began looking for a missing bicyclist in their town at about 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 and found a bicycle and the rider down an embankment, according to New Hampshire State Police. The bicyclist was identified as retired Hudson Police Sgt. Donna Briggs, 59, of Derry, New Hampshire.

Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene to render aid, but Briggs was pronounced dead on the scene.

“It appears that Briggs was struck from behind by a motor vehicle traveling southbound, which then left the scene. Video from a nearby business shows it was a dark-colored vehicle that struck Briggs and that the crash happened at approximately 11:37 a.m.,” according to the New Hampshire State Police.

Briggs, who lived in Derry, was Hudson’s first female police sergeant and worked for the department from 1993 to 2013, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Officials said Briggs had been training for the Police Unity Tour, a ride to raise awareness for officers killed in the line of duty.

New Hampshire State Police obtained video surveillance from nearby businesses and determined the driver of a blue GMC Yukon was responsible for the crash.

Craig Sprowl, 45, of Dover, was arrested in connection with the fatal hit-and-run after officers found the SUV in the woods behind the Derry car dealership where he worked, according to NBC 10 News.

Sprowl was taken into custody at a Motel 6 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was charged with negligent homicide and conduct after an accident.