A man in his 40s from East Weymouth is facing two counts of attempted murder after Bridgewater State University says video evidence showed he intentionally struck two students with his vehicle on campus. The collision happened on Burrill Avenue near the Moakley Center, leaving one student hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries and the other with minor injuries.
The university confirmed the attempted murder charges, saying video review led investigators to conclude the driver deliberately hit the two students rather than striking them by accident, according to WCVB. Bridgewater State University Police officers arrested the driver near the scene shortly after the collision on Burrill Avenue, a corridor that runs through BSU's east campus and borders major residence halls and academic buildings, including the Moakley Center at 100 Burrill Avenue, according to Bridgewater State University.
What the Charges Mean Going Forward
Beyond the two attempted murder counts, the driver also faces two counts of reckless operation of a motor vehicle, one count of leaving the scene of personal injury, and a marked lanes violation, per the station's report. His name had not been released as of the most recent update. School officials said the driver was not targeting these specific students, and video showed the driver deliberately struck them.
Under Massachusetts law, attempted murder requires proof of a specific intent to kill, a much higher bar than reckless driving, and the charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years or even life in state prison. Serious felony prosecutions out of Bridgewater fall under the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office, led by District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz, whose office oversees major violent crime cases across the county's 27 municipalities, per the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office.
An Earlier Road Rage Report in East Bridgewater
School officials said the driver had also been involved in an earlier road rage incident in East Bridgewater before the campus collision. East Bridgewater directly borders Bridgewater to the northeast, meaning the two incidents unfolded only a few miles apart along regional routes, according to information published by Mass.gov. Criminal cases out of both towns are typically processed through Brockton District Court on Main Street, while weekend arrests generally await the next regular court session for arraignment.
Bridgewater State University Police responded to the scene.
A Campus Already Shaken by Recent Crashes
A Campus Already Shaken by Recent Crashes Saturday morning's incident lands on a campus already rattled by vehicle-related trauma. Less than three weeks earlier, on September 17, 18-year-old BSU freshman Dylan Rauch was critically injured in a head-on crash in nearby Plymouth caused by a fleeing juvenile driver, according to Daily Voice. Rauch needed emergency air transport to a Boston trauma center and remained in intensive care into October.
The town itself has also seen tragedy on its roads this year. In January, a 55-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle at the intersection of Route 104 and Vernon Street in Bridgewater, dying later at Boston Medical Center South in Brockton, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office reported at the time. Investigators have not said whether that case is connected in any way to this week's campus incident.
