Hudson, NH, man accused of ramming couple’s SUV in drunken road‑rage incident

HUDSON, N.H. — A 70‑year‑old Hudson man is behind bars after police say he rammed another vehicle in a road‑rage attack on Thursday afternoon, tried to pull open the driver’s door and later registered twice the legal limit on a breath test.

Richard Feener was arrested at his home about 30 minutes after the confrontation at Library and Central streets, where a Litchfield, New Hampshire, couple — a 66‑year‑old man and 67‑year‑old woman — told police their SUV was struck multiple times by a white Ford Escape that had been tailgating them since Lowell Road, according to the Hudson Police Department.

The couple told police that at about 3:45 p.m. Feener threw what they described as a “temper tantrum” before intentionally crashing into the rear of their vehicle three times. Police said he then got out, approached the driver’s side door and tried to pull it open while yelling, before returning to his SUV and sideswiping their vehicle as he fled.

No injuries were reported.

A third‑party witness allegedly confirmed the tailgating, the confrontation at the door and the intentional sideswipe.

Police said they traced the Ford’s veteran license plate to Feener’s home on Barbara Lane about 30 minutes after the reported incident. There they found the SUV with a warm hood and fresh damage consistent with the victims’ account.

According to police, Feener told officers from his doorway that he had been home for about four hours and admitted to drinking but claimed he had not driven recently.

When officers pointed out the fresh damage on his vehicle, he allegedly said it had been there for a while. Police said that they could smell the odor of alcohol on his breath, and when asked what time it was, Feener said it was 8 p.m. despite it being hours earlier.

In addition to appearing intoxicated, and giving inconsistent statements, he struggled to complete field sobriety tests. A breath test later registered a blood‑alcohol concentration of 0.16, according to police.

Feener was charged with three counts of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, a Class B felony; aggravated driving while intoxicated, a Class A misdemeanor; driving under the influence, a Class B misdemeanor; conduct after an accident, a Class A misdemeanor; and disorderly conduct, a violation.

At his arraignment Friday in Nashua District Court, Judge Amy Manchester entered no plea on the felony charges and not guilty pleas on the misdemeanors and violations.

Prosecutors acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations but noted Feener has “little to absolutely no criminal or vehicle history,” citing only a 2002 Massachusetts assault‑and‑battery case that was continued without a finding — a disposition in which a defendant admits the facts but avoids a conviction if they complete probation.

The prosecution described Wednesday’s incident as a “one‑off” and requested $500 cash bail with conditions including no driving, no contact with the victims and mandatory drug and alcohol treatment. The defense agreed, saying the episode stemmed from a substance‑abuse issue.

Manchester rejected the joint recommendation.

“Despite your agreement, I can’t accept this,” she told the attorneys.

Turning to Feener, she added, “I find you to be a danger to the community, and I am going to detain you without bail.”

Feener is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause hearing at 10 a.m. on June 22.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.