Lowell witnessed a series of disturbing incidents last night, starting with a car accident that escalated to carjacking, and culminated in a hit-and-run involving a pedestrian, officials say. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, together with Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon and Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble, detailed the charges against the 30-year-old Billerica man, Christopher Campbell, who is now facing serious legal repercussions, as reported by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office.
According to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office official report, the incident began on Boylston and Rogers Street in Lowell around 10:25 p.m., when Campbell's Volkswagen Jetta collided with another vehicle. Post-collision, he allegedly engaged in aggressive behavior, which included jumping on the hood of the other car and shouting. The driver of the other vehicle fled on foot, fearing for her safety, at which point Campbell is said to have seized the opportunity to steal her car.
Campbell allegedly drove a stolen car onto the sidewalk on Rogers Street, hitting a man and leaving him with life-threatening injuries. The man was rushed to the hospital. About 35 minutes later, State Police got reports of a car with no lights on driving dangerously on I-495 South in Franklin. That car later crashed again and was found abandoned, according to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office.
Following the abandonment of the stolen car, State Police and Franklin Police set up a perimeter to locate the suspect. Campbell was found hiding in a culvert after attempting to evade police by crossing the interstate, during which, he threatened officers claiming to be armed. A Franklin Police officer deployed a taser to subdue him enabling the arrest, "When Campbell saw police, he started yelling that he had a gun." Franklin Police's timely intervention thereby allowed for Campbell's capture without any further risks to the public, as stated by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office.
Now in custody, Campbell is scheduled for arraignment on Monday at Lowell District Court. While the charges against him are severe, encompassing assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, two counts of leaving the scene of personal injury, carjacking, larceny of a motor vehicle, negligent operation, and a marked lanes violation, this comes as an ongoing investigation. It is spearheaded by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, Lowell Police Department, and Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, who are working collectively to unravel the full narrative of last night's events.
