Shocking Dashcam Footage: Ellen Read’s New Hampshire Traffic Stop Goes Viral—What Really Happened?

State Rep. Ellen Read, D-Newmarket, is facing bipartisan calls to resign after invoking a little-known “legislative privilege” clause in the New Hampshire Constitution to fight two high-speed traffic stops that occurred while she was driving home from Concord. Police records show Read was first clocked at 107 mph on Interstate 93 in December 2024—she admits to 85 mph—and again at 92 mph in June 2025, both well above the posted limits. Under Part II, Article 21 of the state constitution, lawmakers “shall not be arrested” while traveling to or from legislative sessions. Read’s attorney argues that citation-issuing officers should have “filed the charge later” rather than detaining her roadside, likening her status to that of first-responders en route to emergencies. Critics counter that the framers meant to shield legislators from politically motivated arrests— not to grant blanket immunity from routine traffic laws. House Speaker Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, has referred the matter to the Ethics Committee, while Rep. Kimberly Rice, R-Hudson, and Democrat colleagues including Rep. Kris Schultz say Read’s stance “puts her above the law” and distracts from constituent work. Schultz’s letter to leadership triggered the review after what she calls a “pattern” of unsafe driving and a disputed State House parking violation. Read, a progressive serving her fourth term, insists the uproar stems from a “personal dispute” and labels the resignation push “Salem witch trials politics.” She maintains she will contest the tickets and remain on the ballot this fall. Legal scholars note that New Hampshire’s privilege clause predates automobiles and has never been tested against modern traffic statutes. “Courts generally interpret similar provisions narrowly—detention for a safety infraction is not the same as an arrest for speech or voting,” said UNH law professor John Greene. If a judge sides with Read, the ruling could limit officers’ authority to stop any legislator rushing between the State House and home. If she loses, the decision may clarify that constitutional immunity ends where public safety begins. Either way, the case is expected to influence an ongoing bipartisan effort to rewrite Article 21 before the 2028 constitutional convention. For voters in Rockingham District 17, the controversy adds to an already crowded primary season. Republicans have seized on the story as evidence of Democratic hypocrisy, while Read’s supporters say she is being singled out for aggressive climate-change advocacy. Meanwhile, state police emphasize that all drivers—elected or not—will be ticketed when speeds top 100 mph. A pre-trial hearing on the December citation is scheduled for August 12 in Concord District Court.