Man charged in hit-and-run that killed New Hampshire Air National Guard commander

By The Associated Press

DOVER, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man who told police he had been drinking has been indicted in a hit-and-run crash that killed the commander of the state’s Air National Guard, authorities said.

Paul Clement, 81, of Rochester, was indicted Oct. 17 by a Strafford County grand jury on charges of negligent homicide and conduct after an accident resulting in a death or injury. He remains free on personal recognizance and is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 5.

A phone message seeking comment was left Monday for his attorney, Andrew Cotrupi.

Brig. Gen. John Pogorek was securing a load on his trailer on the roadside in Rochester on July 8 when he was struck by an SUV that continued without stopping, police said. Investigators later located the vehicle and Clement. He was arrested in August on the conduct charge and told police in court documents that he had been drinking beforehand, Foster’s Daily Democrat reported.

Pogorek, 57, graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1989 and joined the New Hampshire Air National Guard in 1999. He was named commander in 2022, serving as a top adviser to Gov. Chris Sununu and the state’s adjutant general and overseeing all operations at Pease Air National Guard Base.