Authorities have captured the inmate who escaped from a New Hampshire hospital Wednesday morning.

John Pownall escaped from Exeter Hospital around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday morning despite the 57-year-old’s court order to remain at the facility until medically able to return to the Rockingham County Jail, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s office.

Authorities say 36-year-old Ashley Gustafson helped Pownall escape from the hospital and field in a white KIA sedan with a New Hampshire license plate.

Police say Pownall removed his ankle monitoring device in a CVS parking lot in Stratham, New Hampshire.

The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Boston 25 that both Pownall and Gustafson were located by Dover, NH police.

Additional details on their capture were not available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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New Hampshire authorities are asking for the public’s help locating an incarcerated man they said escaped from Exeter Hospital on Wednesday.

John Pownall, 57, was being held at the hospital under a court order to remain there until he was medically able to return to the Rockingham County Jail, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s office said in a statement. He fled the hospital around 10:40 with Ashley Gustafson, 36, police said. 

Authorities said the pair fled in a white KIA four-door sedan with a New Hampshire license plate. A short time after leaving the hospital, police said, Gustafson helped Pownall remove his ankle bracelet in the parking lot of a CVS in nearby Stratham, New Hampshire. 

Major Christopher Bashaw, of the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, said Pownall was arrested on Friday for driving with a suspended license and was then sent to the hospital for medical treatment, according to WHDH. 

Members of the public should not attempt to approach either Pownall or Gustafson, the sheriff’s office said. 

Both Pownall and Gustafson have active arrest warrants, according to WHDH.

“This person does have a lengthy criminal history,” Bashaw said, according to the station. “A lot of it is geared towards substance abuse, as well as driving infractions.”

Anyone with information about Pownall or Gustafson is encouraged to contact police at (603) 679-2225 or reach out to local police.

New Hampshire State Police will give a ticket to any driver pulled over on I-95 starting Tuesday in an effort to crack down on drunk and distracted driving this Thanksgiving, the governor said. 

Governor Chris Sununu said there will be a “zero tolerance zone” in the I-95 corridor from Seabrook to Portsmouth, which covers the length of the interstate in New Hampshire.

“If you get pulled over, you are getting a ticket,” Sununu said. “We want that enforcement to be strong. We want the visibility to be out there, and we want everybody to take their role and responsibility in ensuring that not just them and their families, but their kids and their neighbors and even the strangers that pass them on the road, everybody needs to get where they need to be safe.”

Sununu said the zero tolerance zone will continue “through the holiday season.” Officials noted that Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is sometimes known as Blackout Wednesday or Drinksgiving.

“If you’re gonna go out and celebrate, make a plan before you even have one drink,” said New Hampshire State Police Lieutenant Christopher Storm. “Designate a sober driver to get you home safely. If you wait until you’ve had a drink, you may make not the best decision.”

New Hampshire, like other New England states, have seen an increase in traffic fatalities. Sununu said at a press conference there is a 200 percent increase in young driver fatalities compared to this time last year.

Storm said that of last weekend, traffic deaths in New Hampshire are tied with last year’s total of 127 with still a month to go.

“We are announcing additional enforcement efforts, increased patrols statewide, around the clock, through the holiday season,” Storm said. “Drivers take note if you’re excessively speeding, driving recklessly or impaired on our roads, you will face consequences.”

State troopers from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine all joined Sununu on Tuesday and said their agencies will also increase patrols on their roads.

“While we may be in New Hampshire today, we are New England, and so that means when it comes to travel safety, we are all in it together,” Sununu said.

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Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.

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