A New Hampshire man, Nestor Roman II, 30, from Dalton, has been charged with multiple offenses after allegedly stealing a rescue truck from firefighters responding to a fire at his home. The incident occurred early Tuesday morning when firefighters were battling a fully involved structure fire near Faraway Road and Mountain Road. According to New Hampshire State Police, they were called to assist Dalton Fire & Rescue around 3:50 a.m. when they learned that a Whitefield Fire & Rescue vehicle had been stolen.
Roman reportedly took the F550 rescue truck shortly before 5 a.m. and drove around the E3 fire engine, nearly hitting two firefighters and narrowly missing a third. He then crashed into the E3 and a small pickup truck while trying to leave the scene, according to the fire department. Roman drove over multiple water supply lines and damaged two charged hoses that were being used to fight the fire, although the hoses were not damaged.
After fleeing the scene, Roman allegedly struck a firefighter's personal vehicle and caused damage to neighboring properties, including wooden fences. The stolen vehicle was later found crashed on a Dalton homeowner's property, where Roman was reportedly attempting to take items from the porch. He was found uncooperative by troopers but was taken into custody.
Roman faces three felony counts of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, burglary, and two counts of theft by unauthorized taking, as well as several misdemeanor charges including obstructing government administration and resisting arrest. Despite the incident, the E3 fire engine remained operational, and firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, which resulted in a complete loss of the house. The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire. Dalton Fire & Rescue expressed gratitude that no firefighters were injured during the incident.