HOPKINTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A 28-year-old man is facing speeding and reckless driving charges after a pursuit in Hopkinton ended after he crashed a motorcycle into another vehicle, police said.
The Hopkinton Police Department announced that Robert Willis was taken into custody on Wednesday, Nov. 8, after the crash occurred at the intersection of Ash Street and Thayer Heights Road.
According to Hopkinton PD, the pursuit happened after an officer spotted Willis’s motorcycle travelling on West Main Street and noted it matched the description of another motorcycle that police had tried to stop over the last few months.
After being alerted, a police sergeant reportedly tried stopping Willis after spotting him on Main Street, but lost sight of him.
The vehicle was then seen again on Holt Street, leading to a pursuit that lasted some two miles, the department said in a news release.
However, when the motorcycle approached the intersection of Ash Street and Thayer Heights Road, police said Willis allegedly tried to pass another vehicle, but ended up colliding with it, causing the bike to crash onto its side.
No injuries were reported, with Willis later being found on Ash Street in a yard after he allegedly fled the scene of the crash on foot.
Hopkinton PD said the 28-year-old now faces charges that include:
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Property Damage
- Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Failure to Stop for Police
- Uninsured Motor Vehicle
- Unregistered Motor Vehicle
- Speeding
- Number Plate Missing
- Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device
The department added that while Willis was a licensed firearm carrier and told authorities he was carrying a gun, police later found it contained a high-capacity magazine, leading to the “Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device” charge.
“I would like to commend our officers for their use of caution during this incident given the time of day and extra traffic in the area,” Acting Police Chief Scott van Raalten stated. “The officers displayed great awareness and were able to safely take the suspect into custody.”
Willis was slated to be arraigned in Framingham District Court later that afternoon.
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