MANCHESTER — The Manchester police officer charged with driving under the influence after he crashed his personal car into another vehicle on Interstate-93 last week has resigned from the police department.

Police Chief David Mara told the New Hampshire Sunday News that David Connare submitted his resignation in a letter Friday afternoon.

“I accepted it,” Mara said.

The chief said his department was awaiting the reports on the Oct. 16 crash from state police, who are doing the investigation.

“We were in the process of doing our own internal investigation,” Mara said. “Before we were to the point of taking disciplinary action, ... (Connare) submitted his resignation.”

Connare, who was president of the Manchester Police Patrolman's Association, was arrested and charged with DWI, a misdemeanor, and felony reckless conduct after the crash, which happened around 7 p.m. A state police press release stated that both speed and alcohol “were contributing factors in the crash.”

Connare, who was off-duty at the time, was traveling south on I-93, just south of Exit 6 in Manchester, when his Mazda A-3 crashed into the vehicle ahead of him, a Mazda Tribute driven by Heather Oregan of Hudson.

According to the press release, “Witnesses indicated that Mr. Connare was traveling at a high rate of speed when he crashed into the back of Ms. Oregan's vehicle.” The force of the impact pushed Oregan's vehicle off the road and into a bridge abutment, and caused Connare's vehicle to cross both lanes of I-93 before coming to rest in the high-speed lane.

Both drivers were hurt in the crash and taken by ambulance to Elliot Hospital, where both were later released, according to state police.

Chief Mara said Connare had been a police officer in the city since 1991. He would not comment on how Connare's arrest and resignation has affected other officers in the department.

Connare could not be reached for comment Saturday.

He is the stepson of Executive Councilor Raymond Wieczorek.

A court hearing is set for Dec. 10 in Manchester District Court.

A man who answered the phone at Oregan's home said “she is slowly recovering” from her injuries. She did not return the call from a reporter.