BEDFORD, N.H. — A New Hampshire woman has been arrested in connection with a crash earlier this month that killed a dog and injured a woman who was out with that dog.
Bethany Belmonte, 39, of Merrimack, is charged with vehicular assault and negligent driving, police said in a statement on Monday.
On Sept. 11, Bedford Police officers responded to Route 101 in the area of the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire for a report of a pedestrian who was struck by a motor vehicle.
When officers arrived, they found a woman lying in the breakdown lane of the highway with an injured dog lying next to her. Both the woman and the dog had been struck by a vehicle.
The victim, a 37-year-old New Boston woman, was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, while the dog died while being transported to a local veterinary center.
A subsequent investigation found that Belmonte fell asleep while driving, and drifted off the side of Route 101, where she struck the woman and dog.
Bedford Police obtained an arrest warrant for Belmonte on Tuesday, Sept. 24. She turned herself in to Bedford Police, where she was booked and released on personal recognizance bail.
Belmonte is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 29 in Merrimack District Court.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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