Police: Man rammed cruiser, drove off ferry ramp on Martha’s Vineyard in attempt to evade capture
A man wanted in connection with a domestic violence incident was arrested after officials say he rammed his pickup truck into a police cruiser and drove off a Steamship Authority ferry ramp in an attempt to evade capture on Martha’s Vineyard on Thursday night.
The suspect, whose name hasn’t been released, is slated to be arraigned Friday in Edgartown District Court on charges including two counts of assault and battery on a family or household member, assault and battery with a motor vehicle, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, two counts of vandalism, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, refusal to stop for police, trespassing with a motor vehicle, and speeding, according to the Oak Bluffs Police Department.
An Oaks Bluff police sergeant was on patrol on the island when he spotted a Ford F-250 pickup truck being driven by a man wanted for “arrestable crimes of violence” that occurred in Oaks Bluff earlier in the evening, Oaks Bluff Police Lieutenant Nicholas W. Curelli said in a news release.
The sergeant attempted to stop the pickup truck in the area of Masonic Avenue but the driver allegedly accelerated rapidly in reverse and rammed into the front of his cruiser, causing significant damage.
The truck then sped off and the sergeant couldn’t keep up with the driver because of the damage to his cruiser, according to Curelli. The sergeant later spotted the driver turn onto the gated ramp of the Steamship Authority Dock at the corner of Seaview and Oak Bluffs avenues, where the truck launched off of a ferry ramp into the water.
After the police requested help from the Oak Bluffs Fire Department and the United States Coast Guard, search teams observed the suspect as he swam away from the ramp and climbed a ladder onto a large piling. Firefighters and police officers then drove a boat over to the suspect and took him into custody.
The suspect was treated at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for minor hand injuries and booked into the Dukes County Jail.
As of Friday morning, the pickup truck was still in the water at the Oak Bluffs Terminal as crews awaited weather improvements and the arrival of a barge and crane, according to the Steamship Authority.
“The Authority is cooperating fully with the Massachusetts State Police and Oak Bluffs Police Department in their investigation into the incident,” the Authority said in a statement. “The Authority is reviewing its video footage of the event to determine if any is able to be released in accordance with its security procedures.”
An investigation remains ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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