A 19-year-old Springfield man is facing a dozen charges after a hit-and-run at a Westfield plaza turned into a cross-border police chase that ended with his Dodge Nitro crashing through the gate of a scrap yard and coming to rest in a pile of rocks. Ralph M. Rivard was arraigned in district court following the crash, which also sent him and his 18-year-old passenger running on foot into the surrounding area before officers tracked them down about an hour later.
According to a MassLive page credited to Cliff Clark of Reminder Publishing, the chain of events began when Rivard rear-ended a motorist's vehicle at a fast-service restaurant in Westgate Plaza, then drove the Dodge Nitro toward West Springfield on Springfield Road. The motorist he struck reported the crash to police and followed the Nitro, relaying the vehicle's license plate number to a dispatcher as the pursuit unfolded.
That plate number became the key to catching up with Rivard. The West Springfield Police Department entered it into its Flock automatic license-plate reader database, which then reported the Nitro was heading back into Westfield on Springfield Road, per the same account. A Westfield patrol officer spotted the vehicle and tried to pull it over, but Rivard kept going eastbound on Springfield Road at a high rate of speed.
A Reckless Run Through City Streets
Rivard allegedly crossed a double-yellow line and swerved into oncoming traffic while fleeing, then turned onto Union Street before continuing onto Williams Riding Way and Delancy Street, the report states. The pursuit ended when he crashed into the gate at Eastern Vehicle Recycling on Neck Road, breaking through it before the Nitro came to rest in a pile of rocks. The 18-acre commercial scrap and auto salvage yard operates under a city council junk dealer permit, according to Westfield City Council records.
Rivard and his passenger, identified as Angel Lee Ruiz Jr., an 18-year-old Main Street, Westfield resident, both fled on foot after the crash. Westfield police brought in a drone to help search from the air while a Southwick Police Department K-9 unit tracked on the ground, and both men were taken into custody about an hour after the crash, per the article.
Inter-Agency Tools Behind the Capture
The search tactics reflect resources regional departments lean on regularly. Southwick's K-9 unit uses utility dogs certified in tracking, area searching and article recovery, funded through municipal support and local donations, according to The Westfield News's earlier reporting, and the department frequently assists neighboring Western Massachusetts agencies with tracking. Westfield police, meanwhile, have maintained a dedicated drone unit since 2017, using it for tactical surveillance, aerial searches and crime scene mapping, per the Center for the Study of the Drone.
A search of the vehicle turned up an opened and nearly empty bottle of liquor, an empty nip, and marijuana inside a backpack, according to the seed report. Those finds factored into the lengthy charge sheet Rivard now faces, which includes leaving the scene of property damage, failure to stop for police, negligent operation, unlicensed operation, operating an unregistered vehicle, and attaching plates from a different vehicle to the Nitro.
Felony Destruction Charge Carries Steep Stakes
He was also charged with possession of liquor by a person under 21, trespassing, wanton destruction of property for running through the Neck Road gate, possession of an ounce or less of cannabis, and felony malicious destruction of property valued at more than $1,200. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 266, Section 127, destruction of property only rises from a misdemeanor to a felony once damage exceeds that $1,200 threshold, a bar that was raised from $250 under the state's 2018 criminal justice reform law, according to Ellison Law LLC. Felony convictions under that statute can carry up to 10 years in state prison.
The failure-to-stop charge also carries its own statutory weight. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, Section 25, willfully refusing to stop when signaled by a uniformed officer is a distinct criminal motor vehicle offense punishable by a $100 fine, according to police reports.
In all, Rivard faced a dozen charges. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for November 11. He will owe the court $2,500 if he fails to return for that hearing, per the original report. Ruiz was charged separately with underage possession of alcohol.
Two Very Different Legal Paths Ahead
The underage alcohol charge carries far lighter consequences than what Rivard faces. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 138, Section 34C, a first-offense conviction for possessing or transporting alcohol as a minor brings a fine of up to $50 along with an automatic 90-day license suspension from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, according to Urbelis Law.
The case also involved Flock's automated license-plate reader database, which helped locate Rivard's vehicle.
