In a somewhat puzzling repeat of events, a driver has once again collided with a police cruiser in Springfield, marking his second such incident within a span of two years. This past Saturday, the arrest of 28-year-old Jose Morales-Velasquez following the collision, as per the Springfield Police Department report.
Officers were attending to a prior motor vehicle crash at the intersection of Chestnut Street and State Street around 1:20 a.m., their emergency lights flashing, when Morales-Velasquez’s vehicle reportedly rammed into their cruiser. According to the police account, following the impact, which left two officers injured and in need of medical treatment at Mercy hospital, the driver attempted an escape on foot. An officer managed to provide details that led to the apprehension of Morales-Velasquez on Chestnut Street shortly thereafter.
The subsequent investigation and booking process revealed Morales-Velasquez's lack of a license and his use of a false identity, eventually unmasked through fingerprinting. It was then discovered that he had, outstanding warrant for an O.U.I arrest where he had previously struck another Springfield Police cruiser in June 2022.
Now facing multiple charges, including Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Suspended License, Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Crash, and Furnishing a False Name/SSN and Obstruct a Stationary Emergency Vehicle – Morales-Velasquez's run-in with the law seems to have compounded his legal dilemmas, the Springfield Police Department announced. The charges further involve OUI – Liquor or .08%, unlicensed and uninsured operation of a motor vehicle, possession of an open container of alcohol, and traffic violations related to speeding and an improper turn.
