A teenage driver accused of leading police on a chase through a New Hampshire airport perimeter is facing multiple charges after allegedly slamming into a parked plane and a tractor while intoxicated.
Wyatt Seely, 17, of Rochester, was taken into custody Saturday night following the crash at Portsmouth International Airport, New Hampshire State Police said Sunday. The incident began shortly after 8 p.m. When troopers attempted to stop a black 2008 Ford Mustang on Durham Street in Portsmouth.
Officials were initially searching for “a vehicle related to reported crimes in other local jurisdictions,” according to authorities. A trooper spotted the Mustang and tried to pull it over, but the driver allegedly fled.
“The Mustang, which did not have its lights on at the time, then crashed through a perimeter fence of the nearby Portsmouth International Airport and traveled across an aircraft parking apron,” officials said in a release.
The vehicle then struck a Kubota tractor and a small, unoccupied, stationary plane before coming to a stop, NHSP said in a post on X.
Seely was found intoxicated following the crash, officials said. He was transported to an area hospital for evaluation before being taken into custody by state troopers.
The teen was charged with misdemeanor counts of driving while intoxicated (DWI), aggravated driving while intoxicated, disobeying a police officer and conduct after an accident. He also faces a violation-level offense of reckless driving.
Multiple agencies assisted during the incident, including the Portsmouth Police and Fire departments, the Newington Police Department, and Pease Fire and Emergency Services.
Seely is scheduled to be arraigned in Portsmouth District Court.
The airport breach caused significant disruption as authorities secured the area and assessed the damage to the aircraft and tractor. The plane was unoccupied and stationary at the time of impact, and no injuries beyond the suspect’s were reported.
Seely’s arraignment is set for Sept. 9, in Portsmouth District Court.