New England News

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

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Dodds says police, rescuers not truthful

DOVER, N.H. -- Former congressional candidate Gary Dodds testified Wednesday at his trial that he doubted testimony from state police and rescuers over the past two weeks regarding his 2006 car crash.

"Everybody makes mistakes and I don't have a problem with that because I think we're all human, said Dodds, who's accused of faking a story about crossing a river and getting lost in the woods after the crash to boost his lagging campaign. "What's very troubling was, I hate to say, but there were a lot of people who took the stand that were not very truthful."

That statement was later stricken from the court record and a brief recess followed.

Dodds, 43, took the stand after more than two weeks of testimony in which prosecution witnesses said Dodds' injuries were more consistent with his feet being exposed to water for a long period of time, not necessarily to the elements. Prosecutors claim he intentionally soaked his feet in cold water for up to 10 hours to make his story more believable.

Dodds testified he remembers crashing his car along the Spaulding Turnpike, but has little recollection of the moments before the accident or the 27 hours while he was missing after the accident.

"What I remember is, I thought I saw something in the road. I thought it was a deer. I swerved," said Dodds. "I knew I hit something. I didn't even know what it was. I know the airbags went off. It smelled like smoke, it seemed like there was smoke in the place.

"I don't know how I got out of the car. All I know, the next thing I remember I was in water. I felt like I was drowning. I remember walking for a considerable distance. I don't know how long I walked. I remember climbing up a steep hill. I remember a wire. It looked like a telephone wire or some kind of utility pole wire. I was exhausted and I couldn't go any more."

Dodds was found in the woods behind the Garrison Elementary School covered in leaves hours after his car was found along the highway. He was diagnosed with hypothermia, a concussion and immersion foot, known commonly as trench foot after being taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

After New Hampshire State Police investigated Dodds accident and disappearance, he was charged with falsifying evidence, conduct after an accident and causing false public alarm for allegedly faking the accident and his injuries.

Dodds said he is still seeking physical therapy and going for regular acupuncture treatments due to the injuries to his feet.

Earlier Wednesday, the prosecution engaged in some heated exchanges with a defense witness who attacked the state police investigation of Dodds' accident.

Robert Cox, a private investigator and retired state trooper in Massachusetts, testified the state police investigation of Dodds' accident on the Spaulding Turnpike was sloppy.

Cox, who reviewed police reports, noted police never taped off the accident scene and witnesses and rescuers walked the scene and trampled the interior of Dodds' vehicle.

"That scene was contaminated and disorganized," he said.

Cox also noted that there were "numerous instances" in the interviews as well as the accident investigation that contradicted each other.

In cross-examination, County Attorney Tom Velardi asked Cox who showed him Dodds' accident and rescue scenes; Cox said Dodds did. Cox also said he was paid $3,000 by the defense for 60 hours of service, when asked by Velardi.

Velardi noted that most accident scenes could be considered contaminated because, in most instances, witnesses and rescuers are on scene before a police investigation begins. When Velardi pressed Cox on this issue, Cox asked Velardi to rephrase the question. 

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