No Bail for Haverhill Man Arrested for Fifth OUI Offense Over Memorial Day Weekend

File photograph. (Image licensed by Ingram Image.)

Haverhill District Court Judge Patricia Dowling ordered a man arrested for his fifth drunken driving offense held without bail Tuesday after he allegedly fled the scene of a Memorial Day Weekend accident after having a “couple beers” at the Route 110 Grill.

Fifty-two-year-old Richard Ricker was arrested by Haverhill Police Officer Matthew Marshall after allegedly fleeing the scene of an accident at Main Street and Plaistow Road on Saturday at 1:45 p.m. According to police, Ricker was behind the wheel of a black pickup truck when he rear-ended a female driver in a red Hyundai Elantra, leaving that driver with minor neck pain.

The driver of the Elantra told police that she and Ricker both pulled into a gas station following the accident and he “asked her not to call police, had slurred speech and appeared to be intoxicated.” Once the female driver went to call police, Ricker took off down Main Street toward Plaistow, N.H., Marshall said.

Police caught up with Ricker at his Lake Street home later on Saturday, matching up front-end damage to his truck with what Marshall called “heavy damage” to the rear of the Hyundai Elantra. Ricker greeted Marshall on his front steps with “bloodshot, glassy eyes, slurred speech and a moderate odor of alcohol,” the officer said. According to Ricker, he and his brother were leaving the 110 Grill when the car in front of him “stopped abruptly” and he rear-ended it.

“Richard stated that he spoke with the operator of the vehicle and that she all of a sudden left, so he got back in his truck and went home,” Marshall recounted.

Ricker told Marshall he had two beers.

While he consented to field sobriety testing at his home—during which he “almost completely fell over,” Marshall said—Ricker refused a chemical test during booking at the police station. As a result of his refusal, he lost his license for 180 days.

In addition to his license suspension, Ricker must also answer to charges of leaving the scene of property damage and personal injury and negligent operation of a motor vehicle when he next appears in court in early June.

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