Mass. man charged after fleeing crash in stolen car and hitting pedestrian
A Billerica man is facing charges in connection with fleeing the scene of a car crash in Lowell in a stolen car and then hitting a pedestrian, the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office said.
Christopher Campbell, 30, has been charged with two counts of leaving the scene of personal injury and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, carjacking, larceny of a motor vehicle, negligent operation and a marked lanes violation, the district attorney's office said in a press release.
Around 10:25 p.m. Saturday, Campbell crashed his Volkswagen Jetta into another car in the area of Boylston and Rogers Street in Lowell, the district attorney's office said. After the crash, Campbell got out of his car and began jumping on the hood of the other car while shouting.
The other driver was frightened and fled her car, the district attorney's office said. Campbell then stole the other driver's car.
A few minutes later, Campbell drove the stolen vehicle onto the sidewalk on Rogers Street and hit a pedestrian, the district attorney's office said. The man who was hit was taken to a nearby area hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Shortly after 11 p.m., Massachusetts State Police received several reports of a car with no lights on driving erratically and stopping in the left lane of I-495 south in Franklin, the district attorney's office said. A short time later, State Police received a report that the car had been hit by another car while it was stopped in the left lane.
Troopers responded to the scene and found the car abandoned, the district attorney's office said. During their investigation, Troopers determined that the car had been stolen from Lowell.
State Police and Franklin police established a perimeter and began searching for Campbell, who they found on the other side of the highway hunkering down in a culvert, the district attorney's office said. When he saw police, he began yelling that he had a gun.
Franklin police tased him, allowing him to be arrested without further incident, the district attorney's office said. Campbell is expected to be arraigned Monday in Lowell District Court.
Authorities are still investigating the crashes. No further information has been released.
