Holyoke police are asking for the public's help identifying a man they say was involved in a hit-and-run crash with a child on Tuesday morning. Investigators say they want to find both the man and the child as they work to piece together what happened; a surveillance photo shows the man.
According to Boston 25 News, police say the man pictured was involved in the crash with the child, and they're hoping someone in the community can put a name to his face. As reported by MassLive, the crash itself happened Tuesday morning in Holyoke, though further details about where exactly it occurred have not been made public.
Notably, police haven't just said they want to identify the man — they're also trying to locate the child seen with him. Western Mass News reports that investigators are looking for the man seen in a surveillance photo and the child in order to ensure their safety and well-being.
What Police Are Asking The Public To Do
Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to contact Detective Melissa Rex with Holyoke Police Criminal Investigations at [email protected], per the same outlet's report. Tipsters are also asked to reference the incident number IN-26-08746 when reaching out, so investigators can match information to the correct case file.
There's some inconsistency in how tips can be submitted anonymously. Western Mass News describes a Text-A-Tip option through texting CRIMES to 274637 and typing SOLVE along with a tip, and Boston 25 News describes the same sequence — texting crimes to 274637 and then typing solve followed by the message.
A Separate Case Still Under Investigation
This isn't the only unresolved search tied to a vehicle incident in Holyoke this fall. Back in September, Western Mass News reported that authorities were looking for two people after they allegedly failed to stop for police and crashed after exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 15. In that case, the two people inside the car reportedly ran from the scene into nearby woods, and that incident remained under investigation as of the report.
As for Tuesday's hit-and-run, the specifics that would normally accompany this kind of appeal — the crash location, the vehicles involved, and whether anyone was hurt — have not been released by police. What is clear is that investigators consider finding both the man and the child a priority, and they're counting on the public to help close that gap.
