HOLLIS - A Massachusetts man damaged a police cruiser with his handcuffs and then made a brief escape, police said.

Kyle F. Nelson, 23, of Pleasant St., Ayer, is charged with driving while intoxicated, escape and criminal mischief.

Police said about 1 a.m. Saturday, Officer Keith Trombley noticed a 1995 Geo Prizm pulled over to the side of Route 111 near the Nashua city line.

He spoke with the driver, who police said was Nelson, determined he was impaired and arrested him. He put him in the back of the cruiser but Nelson repeatedly tried to get out of the handcuffs, according to a press release.

As a result, Trombley took him out of the cruiser to re-secure the handcuffs. It was then that Nelson allegedly damaged the cruiser with the cuffs.

Trombley put him back in the cruiser again and took him to St. Joseph’s Hospital for chemical testing. After the tests were done, Trombley put Nelson into the cruiser once again but, this time, Nelson allegedly escaped although police found him a short time later in the hospital’s parking lot.

He was re-secured in the rear of the patrol car and taken to the police station for booking.

Police said the criminal mischief charge is a class A misdemeanor but could be upgraded if the cost to repair the damaged cruiser exceeds $1,500.

Nelson is free on $790 cash bail with a Feb. 22 arraignment set in 9th Circuit Court, Nashua District Division.