PORTSMOUTH - An Exeter man accused of intentionally driving into a flagger, then caught because of his "TRUMP1" license plates, was indicted by the most recent Rockingham County grand jury for two charges.

Robert Frese, 61, of 43 Hayes Park, was indicted for a felony count of first-degree assault alleging that on Aug. 8 he used a motor vehicle as a deadly weapon to assault the flagger. The indictment alleges he caused bodily injury to the flagger.

A second indictment alleges Frese committed the crime of conduct after an accident by leaving the scene after he knew he was involved in the incident. Police said he was later located because witnesses noticed his vanity license plates.

An indictment means a grand jury found enough evidence to take the case to trial and is not a finding of guilt.

The flagger, Fred "Bud" Chase, told the Portsmouth Herald in August that he was directing traffic on Islington Street when, �The guy came down the road very fast. At first I thought he wasn�t going to stop.�



He said the driver (later identified as Frese) told him he had to get down Islington Street to see a friend, but he told Frese three times he couldn�t drive down the street because the road was dug up. Chase said he then told Frese to �please go the other way� and turned his back to move a �road closed� sign �so no one could slip through.� He said Frese then yelled at him to move or he would run him over, revved the engine of his PT Cruiser and drove into his left knee, spinning him around and knocking him to the ground.

�If I hadn�t turned when I did, I would�ve been dead,� Chase said.

Frese is free on $1,000 bail, with conditions requiring him to be under GPS supervision, not drive and stay 350 feet away from Chase.