A longtime politician in New Hampshire has some explaining to do after mowing down a flock of ducks in a hotel parking lot.

via the Nashua Telegraph. Video by WMUR.

NASHUA – State Rep. David Campbell offered an apology after striking several wild ducks with his car outside a Nashua hotel last week.

Meanwhile, Nashua police are pledging an open, thorough and impartial investigation into the matter, which unfolded late on the evening of Dec. 23 outside the main entrance of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Campbell, D-Nashua, issued a statement early Sunday evening addressing controversy over the episode, which was first reported in The Sunday Telegraph.

“I am deeply sorry that I accidentally ran over several wild ducks near the Crowne Plaza last Monday night,” Campbell wrote. “This occurred while some people were feeding the ducks in the roadway nearby. I know it greatly upset them, as it did me. In spite of the accusations to the contrary, this was accidental, unintentional and deeply affected me then and now.”

The incident was brought to light by retired Marine officer James Murphy, a Florida resident who was preparing to check into the hotel Monday evening when Campbell’s car collided with what he described as a pack of about 20 ducks in the road.
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Murphy said he had just tossed the ducks some crackers when he spotted Campbell’s dark sedan approaching from a side parking lot near the hotel entrance.

“All of a sudden, this 5 Series BMW comes up, it’s going about 15 miles an hour, and then when he gets to the ducks, it’s not like it even slowed down,” Murphy said. “It just crushed all of the ducks.”

Murphy said he believes as many as six ducks were killed and a handful of others returned to the pond at the Crowne Plaza with apparent injuries. Murphy said he followed the BMW a few dozen feet down the road, took a picture of the license plate and called police.

Campbell left the scene before the officers arrived and later was questioned about the incident.