(Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS) The twisted guard rail in foreground shows the spot where the vehicle driven by Nashua resident Travis Deluca left the road and plunged into the Souhegan River. Deluca was seriously injured; his current condition isn't known.

MERRIMACK — The driver of the 2010 Toyota RAV4 who is accused of fleeing a traffic stop in Bedford then speeding south into Merrimack at nearly 100 mph before crashing through a guardrail and landing the truck in the Souhegan River has been identified as Travis Deluca, 32, a Nashua resident with last known addresses on Lock and Summer streets.

According to Merrimack police Lt. Michael Marcotte, Deluca, who had a dog as a passenger and was believed to be armed with a knife, was allegedly traveling “at a high rate of speed” south on the Daniel Webster Highway.

At some point he allegedly sped past an officer on patrol, who “attempted to catch up to the vehicle,” which the officer described as “driving erratically and (traveling) in the opposite lane,” according to Marcotte.

When he reached the Central Fire Station, 432 Daniel Webster Highway, Deluca was unable to negotiate the curve at the bridge over the Souhegan River, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.

The truck careened through a guard rail, struck a utility pole, then plunged over the steep embankment, landing in the middle of the river, according to Marcotte.

It came to rest in the shallow rapids, in between clusters of exposed rocks, setting the stage for a laborious rescue operation for the on-duty crew.

As firefighters and medical personnel made their way to the heavily damaged, smoking vehicle to assess the condition of the driver and the dog, others began the extrication process.

Meanwhile, officers shouted commands to Deluca, and once the scene was secure, they stood by during the extrication operation, which due to the heavy damage to the vehicle and its location took roughly an hour.

In the meantime, officers found the dog standing in the river outside the vehicle and secured it to a leash.

Indications are that Deluca sustained serious, life-threatening injuries in the crash. He was treated at the scene, then transported by ambulance to a nearby park, which served as a landing zone for the Dartmouth Hitchcock-based DHART medical helicopter that flew Deluca to a Boston hospital.

His condition wasn’t immediately known.

Marcotte said the investigation into the crash, including the nature of charges that police may file against Deluca, remains ongoing.

Businesses and residences in the area lost power due to the damage to the utility pole. Eversource crews were able to restore power about two hours later.

The crash is the second such incident in about two months to occur at the same location. In May, a woman lost control of her vehicle, which also struck a utility pole and guard rail before going over the embankment and into the river.

Telegraph contributor Jeffrey Hastings provided reporting for this story.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.