Police: Martha's Vineyard man launches truck into the ocean after being stopped by police

A Martha’s Vineyard man, sought in connection with a domestic violence incident, rammed a police cruiser and then drove his pickup truck into the water off the Steamship Authority pier in Oak Bluffs Thursday night, according to police.

The man, who has not been identified by the Oak Bluffs Police Department, was said to have been wanted in connection with an incident of domestic violence in Oak Bluffs earlier that evening.

The man’s Ford F250 truck remains in the water off the terminal, said Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority spokesperson Sean Driscoll. Operations were not affected because the terminal is closed for the season, he said.

The truck will remain in the water "until weather conditions improve and a barge and crane can deploy to remove the vehicle,” Driscoll said in a statement. “A full assessment of damages will be made, including the use of a dive team to inspect the (pier’s) pilings.”

What happened?

At around 9:30 Thursday night, Oak Bluffs Police Sgt. Christopher Wiggin saw the man’s pickup truck and tried to stop it as it traveled through the area of Masonic Avenue, according to police.

The Oak Bluffs Police Department said in a statement the man did not initially stop when Wiggin activated his cruiser's lights and siren. Eventually, the truck stopped and Wiggin was said to have believed the driver would surrender himself.

After Wiggin put his cruiser in park, the man rapidly accelerated in reverse and rammed his truck into the front of the police cruiser, significantly damaging it. The truck then sped off toward Seaview Avenue as Wiggin called for backup.

Wiggin observed the truck turn onto the gated Steamship Authority ramp at the Oak Bluffs Terminal and launch into the water, the police department said in its statement.

The driver swam away from the ramp and climbed a ladder onto one of the large pier pilings. Wiggin requested assistance from the Oak Bluffs Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard. A boat was deployed and the man eventually climbed down a ladder on the pier and into the boat.

He was taken into custody without incident and transported to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for minor hand injuries. The man was released shortly thereafter and taken into custody at Dukes County Jail.

The man was set to be arraigned Friday in Edgartown District Court.

Driscoll said the Authority is cooperating with the state and Oak Bluffs Police departments in their investigation.

The Oak Bluffs Police Department could not be immediately reached for comment.

Walker Armstrong reports on all things Cape and Islands, primarily focusing on courts, transportation and the Joint Base Cape Cod military base. Contact him at WArmstrong@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jd__walker.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Police: Martha's Vineyard man drives truck into water off ferry pier