Chaos erupted in Holyoke on Wednesday morning after a suspect, already out on bail for drug trafficking and illegal firearms charges, was arrested following a collision with an uninvolved vehicle. The Holyoke Police Department reported that at approximately 9:05 a.m., officers located a vehicle on Rt. 5 identified as belonging to a suspect in possession of a stolen firearm from Springfield.
In the ensuing pursuit, 37-year-old Carlos Maldonado of Springfield is alleged to have struck a police cruiser, continued to flee, and eventually to drive the wrong way on Route 5 before crashing near the 500 block of Riverdale Road, according to a social media post by the Holyoke Police Department. Maldonado attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended shortly after by police. The recovered firearm was confirmed to be the one reported stolen.
The incident resulted in injuries; three Holyoke Police Officers were hurt during the arrest and were taken by cruiser to a local hospital to assess their injuries. Both Maldonado and the driver of the uninvolved vehicle involved in the crash were also transported to the hospital, though their conditions have not been disclosed. The ongoing investigations are being handled by the State Police for the crash and Holyoke Police for the initial incident.
Maldonado was found to have two outstanding arrest warrants at the time of the arrest. His previous charges included possession of a large capacity feeding device, cocaine trafficking, carrying firearms without a license, assault with a dangerous weapon, and a litany of other drug-related offenses, as per the Holyoke Police Department's report. Details surrounding the additional charges from Wednesday's incident were not immediately available to disclose.
