A Thursday morning traffic stop in Northbridge turned into a short-lived getaway, police say, after a Milford man allegedly threw his car in reverse, hit a Massachusetts State Police cruiser and sped off. Officers say they caught up with him in Milford the next evening and arrested him without any injuries to the public or police.
Milford police account
The Milford Police Department said in a press release that a trooper initiated a motor vehicle stop of a 2026 gray Nissan Sentra in Northbridge at about 8:03 a.m. on Thursday. According to the release, the driver, identified as 29-year-old Joseph Prior of Milford, put the vehicle in reverse, nearly struck the trooper, then collided with the Massachusetts State Police cruiser before fleeing the scene.
How officers tracked and arrested him
On Friday at approximately 5:22 p.m., the Milford Public Safety Communications Center received information that Prior was in town and possibly heading toward Parkhurst Street. Officers located him there, and when Prior saw marked Milford police cruisers, he ran toward Hayward Street, where additional units intercepted and arrested him, according to the department's release. In the statement, Chief Robert L. Tusino praised the trooper's handling of the stop, saying the State Police "showed great restraint."
Charges and booking
Prior was held on $10,000 bail and faces warrant charges that include assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, operating with a suspended license, failure to stop for police, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, unsafe and improper operation of a motor vehicle, and resisting arrest, Patch reported. Authorities say he was booked in Milford and that no injuries were reported.
Community and next steps
The charges stem from warrants tied to the Northbridge stop, and prosecutors will review the evidence and determine formal filings at arraignment. For additional inquiries, the department provided [email protected] as a contact.
