Crime & Safety
High School Student Charged with DUI
The juvenile reportedly asked police to "help him" because he is a "three sport athlete."
A Portsmouth juvenile is facing charges of driving under the influence after he reportedly swerved erratically in front of a police cruiser on Route 24 and then begged police to “help him” because he was a “three sport athlete.”
Police said the officer was heading north on Route 24 on Saturday early at 2:49 a.m. when he saw the vehicle being driven by the juvenile drift into the opposite lane by three or four feet twice in a few moments.
Once stopped, police found a juvenile driver and two passengers — one 18, the other a juvenile. The driver reportedly smelled like alcohol.
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The juvenile reportedly told police that he had drank at a high school basketball game that had occurred earlier and asked multiple times if police could “help him” because he was an athlete. He also stated that he “made a mistake” several times.
The juvenile failed a field sobriety test, police said, and was taken into police custody.
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The case will be tried in family court.
The other juvenile in the car was released to the custody of a guardian and the 18-year-old was allowed to leave the scene.
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