State bomb squad clears car outside of ’53 Commons for hazardous materials

On Oct. 19, the New Hampshire State Police bomb squad inspected and cleared a black Nissan Ultima at the parking lot of the Class of ’53 Commons reported for hazardous materials. The Hanover Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for the vehicle owner for disorderly conduct and offensive matter, according to a press release from Hanover police on Oct. 23. 

Hanover police responded after receiving a dispatch from Safety and Security that a “female subject” was “dumping and spraying unknown chemicals” into the car at 11:10 a.m., according to the release. 

Officers confirmed a “chemical odor” at the site and “quickly” located the woman dumping the chemicals — identified as the owner of the car — “on campus,” according to the release. The vehicle owner was employed by a third party company to work at the College.

The Valley News reported that the car had handwritten signs taped to its windows. 

Hanover police operations lieutenant Matthew Ufford wrote in an email statement to The Dartmouth on Oct. 20 that the Midwestern New Hampshire Hazmat team and the state’s bomb squad were called in by Hanover police due to concerns over “environmental contamination” given the high number of people in the area for the CHaD HERO fundraising event.

After obtaining a search warrant to enter the vehicle on Sunday night, the state bomb squad found “multiple types of household cleaning products” in the vehicle, according to the press release. 

“A minute quantity of dangerous gas levels was detected inside the vehicle which was ventilated and metered until determined to be safe,” the release reads.

After the hazmat team and Hanover Fire Department “deemed [the car] safe,” the car was towed “at the behest of the College,” according to Ufford. 

A College spokesperson declined to comment.

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