Police in Foxboro, Mass. arrested a Taunton man who led them on an almost hour-long chase after fleeing the scene of a car crash along Route 495 Northbound last Friday evening.
50-year-old Howard Stockbridge was arrested and charged after rear-ending a Rhode Island man’s car on 495 North in Foxboro and then driving away from the scene.
Massachusetts State Police found Stockbridge almost an hour later walking through a parking lot along Route 106 and discovered he smelled of alcohol and “observed that his eyes appeared glassy.” Stockbridge told the arresting trooper he was coming from a nearby gym.
However, prior to Stockbridge being placed into custody, witnesses of the accident in which he was involved called the State Police to report the hit-and run.
Police were given the vehicle registration number from the witnesses and through the Registry of Motor Vehicle records were able to trace the truck to a home in Taunton with Stockbridge’s name. An eyewitness later contacted State Police to inform them the truck involved had become disabled on Route 495 northbound at the Route 106 Overpass.
It was also reported the driver of the truck was seen fleeing into the woods near Route 106.
Police then began an extensive search of the wooded area where the truck was located and also noted the front end of the disabled truck had heavy front-end damage and was leaking radiator fluid. Inside the truck troopers found multiple empty beer bottles inside a cooler and a cold, but empty, additional bottle on the passenger seat.
Their search ended with Stockbridge being taken into custody and learned while booking him at the Foxboro Barracks that Stockbridge appropriate operating under the influence offense as OUI-7th offense, and also determined that he was “under a 10-year license revocation for a previous drunk driving conviction.”
Police said Stockbridge was not injured in the car accident.
