2 days ago
WMass trooper injured in hit-and-run crash while on duty ‘in good spirits'
SPRINGFIELD — A Massachusetts state trooper injured in an hit-and-run collision overnight suffered serious injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
'I can tell you he's in good spirits,' State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble told reporters on Tuesday. 'He's in for a long recovery.'
The trooper, who has not yet been identified, had pulled over a tractor-trailer early Tuesday morning and was struck by another motorist on the side of the Massachusetts Turnpike near the Chicopee exit, Noble said.
'He was on the way home after finishing his shift, but state troopers are never off-duty while they're in a marked cruiser,' Noble said, standing outside Baystate Medical Center with some of the clinicians who treated the injured trooper.
The driver took off from the crash scene, according to law enforcement officials.
'This was a hit-and-run. The operator did not remain at the scene,' Noble said.
The driver was arrested around noon Tuesday, but they have yet to be identified. An arraignment has been scheduled in Chicopee District Court on Wednesday morning.
The injured trooper had been with the state police for less than a year, but had been a member of law enforcement for a decade.
Noble declined to discuss the charges the driver may face, nor would he go into more detail about the trooper's injuries.
The incident happened just after 2:20 a.m., close to Exit 51 on the westbound side of Interstate 90, state police said earlier on Tuesday.
The crash is under investigation by Massachusetts State Police and troopers assigned to the Hampden County District Attorney's Office.
Anyone with information on the crash is urged to call 413-505-5993 to speak with state police detectives with the district attorney's office.
Noble said the crash that injured the trooper puts a fine point on the importance of careful driving. He also emphasized the importance of the 'Move Over' law in this state, requiring drivers to move over a lane if they spot first responders pulled over on the side of the road.
'We want to ensure that you drive in a safe manner and drive in a sober manner,' Noble said.
MassLive's Irene Rotondo contributed to this report.
Springfield grants $3.5M for 19 preservation projects, rejects 1 housing request
Amherst Cinema presents free short film festival in celebration of Juneteenth
Springfield, Longmeadow PDs warn of scams with officers demanding Bitcoin, other payments
400 hungry WMass families fed with donation effort by Price Rite, partners
Read the original article on MassLive.
