John Pogorek, the commander of the New Hampshire Air National Guard, was killed in a hit-and-run crash near his Rochester home Monday afternoon, police said.
Pororek, who graduated from Ware High School in Massachusetts in 1985, was 57.
Police responded to an area near 10 Crown Point Road at 5:22 p.m. after they received a report of a motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian, the Rochester police department said.
Pogorek was driving a 2014 Toyota Tundra pulling a trailer when he stopped on the side of the road to step outside his vehicle and resecure a load on the trailer, a preliminary investigation revealed, according to police.
Then, a red Toyota Rav 4 driving west on Crown Point Road, struck Pogorek while he was outside his vehicle and continued to drive without stopping, the police said. Pogorek suffered life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
The police said they found a red 2012 Rav 4 suspected of being involved in the crash and later determined it was driven by Paul Clement, 81, of Rochester. Police did not say if Clement has been charged.
A teenage passenger who was in the Toyota Tundra when the crash occurred was not injured, police said.
Pogorek is survived by his wife, Whitney and their five children, according to the New Hampshire National Gaurd.
As the assistant adjutant general for the New Hampshire National Guard, Pogorek oversaw more than 1,300 officers, airmen and civilians at Pease Air National Guard Base in Newington, according to the New Hampshire National Guard. He accrued 6,675 flying hours during his 31-year career with the U.S. Air Force and National Guard.
New Hampshire Adjutant Gen. David Mikolaities called Pororek an “exemplary wingman, mentor and friend to many” in a statement, according to the New Hampshire National Guard.
“He served his state and nation with the utmost professionalism and dedication,” Mikolaities said in a statement. “He will be deeply missed.”
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu also expressed his “sincere condolences” to the Pogorek family in a statement.
“Gen. Pogorek served his state, country, and community with honor,” Sununu said in the statement. “His commitment and contributions to the Granite State will never be forgotten.”
