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Feb 13, 2008 5:46 pm US/Eastern
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Candidate Takes Stand In 'Fake Car Crash' Trial
Prosecutors Say Gary Dodds Staged Crash To Draw Attention To Campaign
DOVER, N.H. (WBZ) ―
A former New Hampshire congressional candidate accused of staging a car crash to draw attention to his campaign took the stand in his own defense Wednesday after more than two weeks of testimony.
Gary Dodds, of Rye, faces charges of falsifying evidence, conduct after an accident and causing false public alarm for allegedly faking a car accident and then disappearing for more than a day in April 2006.
Dodds, 43, told police he was lost in the woods but police officials believe he soaked his feet to make it look like he'd been hurt.
The crash happened on the Spaulding Turnpike where Dodds was found during a multi-agency search in the woods near the Bellamy River after he had been missing for 27 hours.
Dodds appeared calm and collected Wednesday as he defended allegations that he faked his accident and was dishonest about his whereabouts before and for more than a day after the crash.
"I thought I saw something, seemed like smoke in the place," Dodds said. "I don't even know how I got out the car. The next think I know I felt like I was in water. I felt like I walked for a considerable distance. I remember climbing up a steep hill, I remember a wire, a utility hill. I was exhausted. I couldn't go any more."
When Dodds was found, police said his feet were purple, but the rest of his body was not. They said they think Dodds soaked his feet in water for up to 10 hours to make his story more believable.
"I kind of felt like I'd been in a boxing match," Dodds said. "I was worn out like I'd done a marathon. I was all sore."
Dodd claims he doesn't remember the 40 minutes before the crash. He also can't explain his EZ Pass records that show him going through a toll.
Under cross-examination, there were some tense moments as Dodds was quizzed about what he can recall.
The defense, which has named 66 potential witnesses, argues that Dodds is a law-abiding citizen who had no reason to intentionally hurt himself and that police botched the search for Dodds and the subsequent investigation.
"Everybody makes mistakes and I don't have a problem with that because I think we're all human," said Dodds. "I hate to say it but there was a lot of people who took the stand that weren't very truthful."
That statement was later stricken from the court record and a brief recess followed.
Earlier Wednesday, the prosecution engaged in some heated exchanges with a defense witness who attacked the state police investigation of Dodds' accident.
Robert Cox, a private investigator and retired state trooper in Massachusetts, testified the state police investigation of Dodds' accident on the Spaulding Turnpike was sloppy.
Cox, who reviewed police reports, noted police never taped off the accident scene and witnesses and rescuers walked the scene and trampled the interior of Dodds' vehicle.
"That scene was contaminated and disorganized," he said.
Cox also noted that there were "numerous instances" in the interviews as well as the accident investigation that contradicted each other.
In cross-examination, County Attorney Tom Velardi asked Cox who showed him Dodds' accident and rescue scenes; Cox said Dodds did. Cox also said he was paid $3,000 by the defense for 60 hours of service, when asked by Velardi.
Velardi noted that most accident scenes could be considered contaminated because, in most instances, witnesses and rescuers are on scene before a police investigation begins. When Velardi pressed Cox on this issue, Cox asked Velardi to rephrase the question.
Dodds will finish his testimony Thursday morning. Court is expected to be in session for only a half day.
Dodds, a Democrat, had hoped to challenge the U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)