(Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS) State police troopers work at the scene of the crash on I-93 in Hooksett Wednesday evening in which the pickup truck at left, driven by an Amherst man, slammed into a state police cruiser, injuring the trooper and a passenger inside. The driver, Michael Pavletich, was charged with drunk driving.

HOOKSETT — An Amherst resident identified as Michael Pavletich, age 22, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs Wednesday evening following a high-speed crash in which the 2017 Ford pickup truck he was driving slammed into the rear end of a state police cruiser on I-93 at the Exit 9 on ramp in Hooksett, police said.

The trooper, whom police didn’t identify, had positioned his cruiser in the right lane of Hooksett Road with his emergency blue lights flashing while awaiting a tow truck for a vehicle that had gone off the road and got stuck in a snowbank.

The driver of the car, identified as Joyce Walton, 76, of Manchester, was sitting in the back seat of the cruiser to keep warm, while the trooper was in the driver’s seat, police said.

Just after the tow truck arrived and the operator began hooking up Walton’s vehicle, the Ford pickup slammed into the cruiser, trapping both the trooper and Walton inside, police said.

The impact pushed the cruiser forward, narrowly missing the tow operator, who saw the crash developing and managed to avoid being struck.

(Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS) Local and state police officers view the scene of the rear-end crash Wednesday evening involving a state police cruiser and a pickup truck driven by an Amherst man, who was charged with drunk driving. The trooper and a passenger in the vehicle were treated for injuries.

The operator then went to assist the trooper and Walton as they awaited arrival of emergency crews from Hooksett as well as state police personnel.

Pavletich, who appeared to have minor, if any, injuries, was arrested at the scene and transported to the Elliot Hospital, where police said he declined medical attention.

Meanwhile, firefighters used hydraulic rescue tools to extricate the trooper and Walton from the heavily damaged cruiser.

Once freed from the cruiser, the trooper and Walton were transported to the Elliot Hospital for treatment of injuries, the nature and severity of which weren’t immediately known.

Police said all aspects of the crash remain under investigation. They ask anyone who may have additional information, or who may have witnessed the crash, to contact Staff Sgt. Mark Suttmeier at Mark.R.Suttmeier@dos.nh.gov or 223-8546.

Telegraph contributor Jeffrey Hastings provided reporting for this story.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.