Boston Area News

DOVER, NH (CBS4) ― Police cast doubt on congressional candidate Gary Dodds' story that he crashed his car in an accident, wandered away in a daze, swam across a river and huddled in the woods for warmth until he was found a day later, according to documents released Tuesday.

Dodds, 41, of Rye, has not been charged with any crime.

The unsealed documents, which total more than 100 pages, pointed out that Dodds' clothes were dry, yet his shoes were soaking wet when he was found in April. He spoke of a head injury, but showed no bumps or bruises on his head and there was no damage to the car indicating that he had hit his head, police said. Also, no one saw or heard him cross the Bellamy River.

"He was also described as alert and oriented and he was able to answer questions," State Police Sgt. Richard Mitchell wrote in an affidavit. "This was 27 hours after the accident."

Among the documents was a search warrant to examine Dodds' clothing signed by Hampton District Court Judge Francis Frasier on May 2; the affidavit; letters from the Federal Election Commission to Dodds' campaign treasurer about the campaign being delinquent in filing year-end financial records; and financial statements.

The documents had been sealed after police argued that releasing them could taint the testimony of witnesses yet to be interviewed. Three news organizations petitioned for them to be unsealed, and the state eventually agreed to their release.

As part of the investigation, Department of Environmental Services officials analyzed material taken from Dodds' shoe. Police believe that if Dodds was in the river, there are certain organic materials that would show up on his shoe.

Results of that analysis were not included in the documents and police said the investigation is ongoing.

The affidavit said probable cause exists that there's evidence of three crimes: theft of services, falsifying physical evidence and false public alarms.

Dodds said he was on his way to meet his campaign treasurer, Frank Meanor, the night of April 5 when he swerved his car to miss something in the road -- possibly a deer -- then crashed into a guardrail on the Spaulding Turnpike.

Dodds said he was disoriented and remembers climbing out of frigid water, then covering himself with leaves to keep warm. He was found more than 24 hours later by a rescue dog. Dodds was treated for hypothermia, a concussion and frostbite, and doctors say he suffered "situational amnesia."

While Dodds claimed to have frost bite on his feet, he didn't have frost bite on his hands, ears, nose and face, the affidavit said.

Police also questioned Dodds' travels through the Spaulding Turnpike's Dover and Rochester tolls as logged by E-ZPass the night of the accident; the E-ZPass record contradicted Dodds' statement that he never drove through the Dover toll that night.

In a statement posted on his Web site Tuesday, Dodds said the facts of the accident have been contorted and distorted by the media in an effort to sensationalize the accident.

"It's an election year, and I think it's interesting timing that warrants a month old are now front page news." Dodds said. "We are going to review this new information and will have a statement for the public later this week."

Dodds, a Democrat, is running for the congressional seat held by Republican Jeb Bradley. He will face four other candidates in the primary: Jim Craig of Manchester, Dave Jarvis of Londonderry, Carol Shea-Porter of Rochester and Peter Sullivan of Manchester.

(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)