DOVER, N.H. —

A trial is underway for a driver accused of hitting and killing the commander of New Hampshire's Air National Guard.

In opening statements Monday, prosecutors said Paul Clement knowingly left the scene of a crash in Rochester because he was driving drunk and didn't want to get in trouble, but the defense said he was clearly in the middle of a major medical event.

"You will see that this was not a mere accident. It was a choice," said prosecutor Walter Ramos.

In July 2024, John Pogorek, 57, and his teenage son stopped on Crown Point Road in Rochester to fix a strap on their trailer. Prosecutors said Clement hit Pogorek with his car after an afternoon of drinking at a nearby bar.

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