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Man who wreaked havoc slamming his car into concrete barrier at Alewife T station to face criminal charges, police say
By adamg on Fri, 02/10/2023 - 9:30am
Transit Police report they are seeking criminal charges against a man they say rammed his Civic into a barrier at the top of the Alewife parking garage and who almost killed himself in what they say was an intentional act.
Police say the as yet unamed 29-year-old Medford man will be charged with eight counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon - specifically, the concrete, steel and glass that showered down into the atrium of the Red Line station around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday after he dislodged a five-ton concrete slab on the fifth floor of the parking garage. Although only one girl hit by some of the flying glass required medical attention, seven other people inside the station were "struck with significant debris," police say.
Police add he will also be charged with operating to endanger.
Police add that the man appeared to have accelerated into the barrier "in an attempt to harm himself," which he did, if not fatally, thanks to prompt attention from a TPD officer who was already patrolling the station and EMTs:
The officer had his attention drawn to the fifth floor of the parking garage after hearing a loud audible crash. The officer immediately proceeded in that direction. Upon arrival, he observed that a white Honda Civic had crashed through the concrete barrier wall and was partially hanging off the roof on the east side of the garage directly above the main mezzanine of the station.
As the officer approached the vehicle, he observed a 29 year old male, determined to be from Medford, lying on the ground next to the driver’s side open door. The male was conscious but not alert. Shortly thereafter, the driver ceased breathing. The officer immediately began life saving measures with positive results. Upon arrival of EMTs, care of the driver was transferred to them. The injured male was transported to a local hospital for emergency care.
Police say the decided to seek criminal charges based on statements the man made before he stopped breathing, an interview with a family member, evidence from the scene and consultations with Middlesex County prosecutors.
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Comments
"Loud audible crash" and
"Loud audible crash" and "barrier wall". That's some classic cop wordsmithery there.
Good. I'm tired of criminal
Good. I'm tired of criminal drivers endangering people, destroying property and delaying public transportation.
No charges for the property damage?
It's pretty extensive, and probably much more serious than the minor injury he caused to one passenger below.
Minor injury?
Maybe minor direct physical injury but the after effects of trauma can be brutal.
Additional charges can follow
Additional charges can follow. It's not over.
That seems really insensitive
That seems really insensitive. People are always more important than property.
The only reason people had
The only reason people had minor injuries was because of timing. Any one of those people could have been killed in this idiot's selfishness.
Why is he unnamed?
If he's 29 years old, why do the authorities seem to be withholding his identity? Seems weird.
Baker related?
Or some other pol?
What would it matter?
The police shouldn't release names of people who haven't been charged unless there's an urgent need for the public to know, such as someone who is on the run.
But he is being charged
That's what this article is all about.
Not yet
The police are asking for him to be charged. The DA hasn't filed the paperwork yet.
A multitude of reasons.
Sometimes members of the public recognize someone they know or something they witnessed and come forward with other details to help exonerate or add to charges.
Police don’t generally charge on whims, though they are not judge and jury.
It’s all a part of public record and transparency.
If this was someone in whose car I might have occasion to ride in or walk in front of, I would certainly want that knowledge.
That car isn't going anywhere
It's for the reasons you mentioned that the police should not automatically release the names of people until a DA has considered the case and decided to formally file charges. It will then be public record.
This guy could be a neighbor of mine in Medford but... so what? Beyond the "Gee wiz" aspect of it, what would I do with that knowledge? Should the public go harass him as a matter of revenge?
This guy is in the hospital and is no immediate threat to anyone. Let the justice system work as intended and don't give police any more power by allowing them to make public accusations before a DA has done their part.
If the man or their family thinks it would be helpful release his name or other details, they are free to do so.
Duh.
Cars don’t drive themselves.
Unless I’m reading it wrong, he has been charged or in the process of being charged.
No need to keep the public in the dark.
Unless someone in power needs some kind of protection.
What's the rush?
Just wait until he's actually charged. If he's not charged, the DA doesn't think the police's accusations are valid or it's otherwise a weak case.
The public shouldn't have a knee-jerk trust of the police. DA's are not infallible either but at least it's a minor check on the police to require a formal charge before releasing a name.
No public I know has a knee jerk trust …
… of police or DAs. Maybe I just know more savvy people than you do.
Sounds more like you want to protect this public you speak of from itself or from what you think the public is.
Unnamed
Why do you need to know his name? Let’s just hope he gets the help he needs.
he has a good lawyer ?
better call saul !
Ok, but...
Do we usually charge suicide survivors with criminal charges?
Seems like a quick not guilty by reason of insanity, no?
I tend to agree, but do you
I tend to agree, but do you feel the same way about Duxbury mom?
Insanity definition in law …
… is not the same as cultural definition.
He made statements, according to the report and they based their charges on them.
I wouldn't say that
You don't need to be insane to want to die.
The big question is if he intended to damage the station and/or hurt people. Presumably no or they would be charging him with terrorism.
I think he should be charged but in a way the fact the concrete siding broke off is just bad luck for a guy whose luck had already run out.
It sure helps
There's a valid argument for what defines life but self-survival. But aside from the philosophical theorycraft of it, the DSM put forwards an argument for suicide as a mental issue given a few criteria (like it can't be due to political/religious purpose...ablating Swirly's 'what about suicide bombers?' question).
Then again, brainwashing as a legal defense has also been argued for decades as a valid defense for certain cult/religious/political legal liabilities since the person is in an altered mental state and their "normal" behavior wouldn't have led them to drive a car off a garage to send any messages to the public.
It all depends on what we think criminalizing behavior is good for. Retribution is like the lowest form of justification. We'll never "get even" with everyone who doesn't play by the rules. Can someone suicidal be rehabilitated in prison? I'd argue it'd be better if they were getting treatment for the cause of their suicidal actions. Is it going to dissuade others from being suicidal? Certainly not. Will we keep someone suicidal from harming others because they'll just "do it again" if we let them go free? Maybe...but is that really the most benefit to arresting them when getting them help gets the same outcome?
Suicide bombers, too?
If a suicide bomber fails to achieve their goal, do they walk free?
Actions have consequences regardless of motive.
If they endanger people around them, sure
You don't automatically get a free pass on that. People can be in a wide variety of states of mind when they attempt to commit suicide, many of them actually quite calm.
Only some subset of those people would meet the "insanity" bar.
If somebody sits in their
If somebody sits in their garage with their car on and a neighbor calls 911 and they survive the attempt that way, no, nobody is charged, although hopefully that person is sectioned to get some help.
If you recklessly and violently attempt to end your own life in a way that endangers and possibly kills other people, yes, you deserve criminal charges. This person is a murder-suicide survivor. That's the crime.
The former Hemlock Society
Had a really interesting and empathetic book (can't recall name) that I had to read in college that gave helpful suggestions about how to no longer be here.
I also recall discussion about considerations for those who are still here who might find your former self and minimizing their trauma from the experience. MBTA parking garages were not discussed.
"to wit, a five ton slab"
Honestly, this has to be one of the stupidest ways I've ever heard of to try to commit suicide (if that was indeed his intent). Modern cars have a *ridiculous* number of safety features, especially for frontal collisions, and it's not like you can even get up to highway speeds in a parking garage. (Anyone want to do the calculus? Honda Civic has 0-to-60 time of maybe 10 seconds, and there's about 350 ft of runway there.)
Stupid, *and* callous, since it's so obvious that there's an excellent chance of at least some debris falling on people below.
Stupid and selfish.
If he even thought he’d be successful, he knew it would draw a lot of attention to himself. Probably a mass murderer wannabe.
I wonder if suicide is a cover story
Perhaps the driver actually wanted to send a car and/or concrete down into the terminal and merely claimed to be suicidal as that might deflect terrorism charges.
Or chickened out at the last minute.
Like those dads who kill their wives and kids. Then lose steam and don’t kill themselves as planned.
Your theory is interesting.
"terrorism"
When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses.