As New Hampshire State Police announce targeted safety patrols on Route 125 a motorcyclist who was severely injured in a crash Friday morning in Plaistow after being hit by an alleged drunk driver continues his recovery.

The patrols will take place for the rest of the summer on the approximately 30 mile stretch between Epping and Milton looking for impaired, distracted and speeding drivers. In a similar targeted patrol on Friday, August 6, 2021 officers made a total of 294 motor vehicle stops and issued 64 citations and 240 warnings, according to State Police.

Ten of the stops led to an arrest including one impaired driver who bolted from their stop. Officers used a tire deflation device to end a brief slow-speed pursuit.

Police departments from Lee, Barrington, Milton and Epping will be part of the patrols along with the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office and New Hampshire State Police Troop A. The goal of the patrols is to reduce the number of fatalities, injuries and other incidents, accoding to State Police.

“Although the function of these patrols is enforcement, the goal is to reduce the number of accidents and for motorists to arrive at their destinations safely,” Epping Police Chief Michael Wallace said.

State Police said 4,893 crashes have occurred on the approximately 50-mile stretch of Route 125 from Haverhill to Milton in the past nine years.  Michael Roy, 21, of Haverhill was killed in a crash on Route 125 in Plaistow on June 21.

A second crash ten days later on the same highway in the same town sent Michael Wilson, 28, of Haverhill to a hospital with a ruptured spleen, fractured pelvic bone in two places and two separate spinal injuries, according to a GoFundMe page to assist with his medical bills. He is temporarily out of work and faces more surgeries.

"If you know Matty, you know he is such a selfless, loving person and will do anything for anyone at the drop of a dime, his sense of humor is almost as loud as his voice, and can make anyone laugh. Above all he is a caring and genuine guy that loves his family and friends more than anything," organizer Brooke Ciampa wrote on the page.

One of the fatalities on Route 125 in 2021 was that of retired Hudson Police Sgt. Donna Briggs who was stuck by a hit and run driver in September while riding her bicycle on Route 125 in Kingston while training for the Unity Tour.

Craig Sprowl, 45, was charged with negligent homicide and conduct after an accident while wife Angela Sprowl, 30 was charged with hindering apprehension. They both lived in Dover.

“We ask you to drive like everyone’s lives depend on it. Watch your speed, use your seatbelt, refrain from distractions, and extend courtesy to others sharing the road,” Rockingham County High Sheriff Charles Massahos said about the summer targeted campaign.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH