BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) – A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to up to seven years in prison for slamming into a New Hampshire liquor enforcement cruiser, seriously injuring the officer inside.

Daniel Bent, 43, of East Walpole, Mass., was convicted of assault and reckless conduct after police say he drove like a maniac for 12 miles along Route 101, eventually crashing into the cruiser in the breakdown lane in September 2005.

Enforcement officer Tim Copeland had pulled a car over.

He was in the cruiser and suffered serious injuries. In court on Friday, he said the crash changed his life forever.

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Information from: Portsmouth Herald, http://www.seacoastonline.com

AP-ES-02-03-07 1800EST