Woman charged in Rochester hit-and-run that seriously hurt 36-year-old jogger

ROCHESTER — A woman who lives in the area where a 36-year-old jogger was struck by a car has been arrested and charged with a felony in the alleged hit-and-run accident.

Joyce Howard, 69, of McDuffee Street in Rochester, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the Oct. 11 incident, which was followed by police asking the public for tips to help determine who had struck the victim, Mat Lefebvre. It took more than a week to make an arrest.

Howard was charged with conduct after an accident, a Class B felony. She was released on personal recognizance bail and will be arraigned in Strafford County Superior Court at a date to be determined, according to police.

On Monday, Oct. 11 about 5:55 a.m., emergency personnel responded to the area of North Main Street and McDuffee Street for the report of a pedestrian found injured in the roadway. Lefebvre, 36, suffered serious injuries and was transported to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, where he still remained Thursday, according to police and his wife, Nicole.

Lefebvre was jogging in the area and was wearing a headlamp with front and rear strobes at the time of the accident, police said. He was jogging on North Main Street, going past McDuffee Street, when he was struck by a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe driven by Howard, who was pulling off McDuffee Street turning onto North Main Street, police said.

After striking Lefebvre, Howard then fled the scene of the accident, leaving the injured male alone in the roadway briefly until he was noticed by other drivers in the area, police said. Lefebvre described the vehicle that hit him as a darker colored, possibly blue, SUV.

Previous story:Mat Lefebvre's family says, 'He was yelling for help'

"I don't know how this person can sleep at night, without hearing Mat's scream, because he remembers everything and he did scream," his wife Nicole said days after the crash. 

Nicole Lefebrve on Thursday reacted to the arrest.

"I guess we should feel relief, but that's not at all what I feel," she said. "I, we feel frustration and we are ready to get into court before a judge and have the whole story come out."

The family has hired the law firm of Shaheen & Gordon. Lefebvre said they have been advised not to talk about the case.

"What I can tell you is that we were made aware of some details as the arrest was being prepared, and I can say watch this case closely," she said. Much more detail will be coming. This is pretty reprehensible."

Lefebrve said Mat remains in the intensive care unit at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

She said she and her husband are in consultations with doctors about the next steps in terms of surgeries. Mat will eventually be moved to a rehabilitation unit, she added.

"He is very upbeat," Nicole said. "He ordered a new pair of running shoes to look at. He keeps them on his table as motivation."