Manchester man arrested in hit-and-run that seriously injured Good Samaritan

Jose Enrique Cruz Vasquez (NHSP photo)

MANCHESTER - A Manchester man was arrested on Friday in a hit-and-run earlier in the day on the F.E. Everett Turnpike that left a Good Samaritan fighting for his life.
The hit-and-run occurred on the turnpike's south side near mile marker 13 around 5:45 a.m., drawing State Troopers, Merrimack Police and rescue personnel.
Upon arrival it was determined that a 59-year-old male had pulled over on the right side of the turnpike and exited his vehicle to render aid to a previous motor vehicle crash that occurred in the center median, blocking the left lane. While walking toward the crash scene, the pedestrian was struck by an unidentified vehicle that went on to the grass shoulder off the right side of the roadway.
The victim was transported to Elliot Hospital in Manchester and then to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston with life-threatening injuries.
Preliminary investigation indicates the hit-and-run vehicle left the roadway and stuck the pedestrian in the grass median. The suspect vehicle left the scene, but it was later identified as belonging to Jose Enrique Cruz Vasquez, 30, of Manchester, who was arrested late Friday.
Vasquez was taken into custody at the New Hampshire State Police Troop B Barracks without incident. He is charged with reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and conduct after an accident. He will be arraigned at Hillsborough County Superior Court on Monday.