Dover, NH Husband and Wife Arrested in Fatal Hit & Run of Retired Police Officer

State police officials said on Friday afternoon that a Dover man and his wife were charged and taken into custody on Friday in the hit-and-run death of retired police officer Donna Briggs.

Briggs, 59, of Derry, was struck in Kingston on Tuesday morning while riding her bicycle training for the Police Unity tour, according to police.  She was found down an embankment along Route 125 on Tuesday night.

New Hampshire State Police Col. Nate Noyes said Craig Sprowl, 45, and his wife Angela Sprowl, 30, of Dover were taken into custody at the Motel 6 hotel in Portsmouth on Friday morning without incident. They are both in police custody pending their arraignment.

A booking photo for Craig Sprowl can be seen below:

Craig Sprowl was charged with negligent homicide and conduct after an accident while Angela Sprowl was charged with hindering apprehension.

Sprowl was driving a dark blue 2005 GMC Yukon that was recovered at Top Line Motorsports in Derry with damage "consistent" with the crash, according to Noyes. Surveillance video images released by State Police earlier showed damage to the front passengers side of the hood.

Noyes did not disclose a timeline of events that led to their arrest or the circumstances of the crash citing the complexity of the ongoing investigation. He said Craig Sprowl went to a hospital after allegedly hitting Briggs but did not disclose a reason for the visit.

Noyes credited many businesses along Route 125 for providing surveillance video that helped identify the vehicle that struck Briggs and witness statements that helped narrow down Sprowl as a suspect.

"Our community opened their doors and spent long hours with us in an effort to ensure investigators had as much information as possible and we are very appreciative for that," Noyes sayd.

Hudson Police Chief WIlliam Avery, who went through the police academy with Briggs, was thankful for the tireless work of nearly a dozen law enforcement agencies that worked to make the arrest.

"I know the Briggs family appreciates their efforts," Avery said, adding that he felt like the world had been lifted from his shoulders  with the arrest.

Kingston Police Chief Donald Briggs, who is no relation to Donna Briggs, said she was struck several hundred feet from where Kingston Police Officer Mel Keddy was struck and killed by a drunk driver while on duty in 1995. It was an investigation Chief Briggs said he led.

"In this business you look at people who are texting and driving and speeding or not paying attention. We've seen it all in the years that we've been out here doing this job. It's sad. It could have been kids walking down the side of the road or someone pushing a baby," Chief Briggs said. "People today are just in a big hurry and they all want to talk on their cell phone."

The Unity Tour remembers officers who have died in the line of duty such as Keddy.

Calling hours for Donna Briggs are scheduled for Sunday at the Peabody Funeral Homes & Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Road in Londonderry.

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