PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A Portsmouth resident was arrested after crashing a pickup truck into the Darleen’s Subs & Pizza building on Islington Street Monday night. He was held at gunpoint by an Uber driver acting as a Good Samaritan until officers arrived, according to police, who allege the same driver was also involved in a string of hit-and-run crashes, causing damage to two businesses and three other vehicles.
Aaron J. Marconi, 50, was charged with possession of a narcotic drug (a Class B felony), driving while intoxicated (Class B misdemeanor), criminal threatening and four counts of conduct after an accident (all Class A misdemeanors). Police said the narcotic was heroin.
Marconi was admitted to Portsmouth Regional Hospital for undisclosed medical reasons, according to Sgt. Kuffer Kaltenborn.
Marconi was driving a blue 2003 Chevrolet pickup at the time of the Darleen’s crash, which was reported to police at 5:42 p.m., Kaltenborn said. Two Good Samaritans, including the Uber driver, worked to prevent Marconi from fleeing the 697 Islington St. restaurant, according to Kaltenborn.
“He hit a car in the lot by Darleen’s trying to get away,” Kaltenborn said. A man acting as a Good Samaritan then used his vehicle to block Marconi from leaving. Marconi threatened to kill that man, police said.
“When Good Samaritan No. 2 [the Uber driver] saw that Marconi was trying to back into the driver blocking him, he told the driver to get out of the way and held his gun until we arrived,” Kaltenborn said.
Prior to crashing into Darleen’s, police say that Marconi struck a parked vehicle at the intersection of Hanover and Bridge Streets, causing significant damage, collided with a second vehicle at the intersection of Islington and Pearl Street, causing damage to that car, and then hit the entrance sign for the drive-thru at Dunkin’ Donuts at 531 Islington St.
Marconi refused to leave his car and had to be forcibly removed by police, Kaltenborn said. He was taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital for evaluation and treatment of minor injuries.