A 29-year-old Boston man is facing charges after turning himself into police for hitting a parking police cruiser in Randolph over the weekend before driving off, according to Randolph Chief Anthony Marag.
A Randolph police officer was helping a driver who ran out of gas on North Main Street when a 2014 black Jeep going north crossed over the center line and hit the parked cruiser, Marag said. The Jeep then continued north.
It happened around 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 29. The officer was evaluated onsite but declined further treatment, the police chief said.
A video of the incident can be found here. It shows a Jeep hitting the front left side of the cruiser as it is parked behind a U-Haul van with its hazard lights on in the left lane.
Another officer, who was also at the scene, tried to stop the Jeep, but was unsuccessful, according to Marag. Police decided not to chase the Jeep out of the abundance of safety for officers and other drivers.
Photo evidence was used to get the Jeep’s license plate number and identify the suspect, the police chief said. Officers found the vehicle about 30 minutes later near Wellington Hill Street, but not the driver.
Police also found damage on the car contingent with the hit-and-run. The vehicle was taken to the Randolph Police Department and impounded, Marag said.
The suspected driver turned himself into police Sunday morning. He was charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and negligent operation of a motor vehicle as a result, according to the police department.
The driver will be summonsed to Quincy District Court at a later date, Marag said. The driver’s name was not released as a criminal complaint had not yet been issued.
