Greenfield man faces 8 charges in hit-and-run that injured trooper in Holyoke

State Police and local law enforcement officers gather along Route 5 near East Street in Easthampton on Friday afternoon as they search for a man who allegedly hit and dragged a state trooper on nearby Interstate 91. A State Police K-9 unit found the Greenfield man after a two-and-half hour search. STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

Staff Writer

Published: 09-28-2023 5:56 PM

HOLYOKE — A Greenfield man is facing eight charges related to an alleged hit-and-run last Friday that injured a Massachusetts State Police trooper and led to a extensive search with K-9s throughout nearby woods after the suspect escaped on foot.

Michael Williams, 45, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Holyoke District Court on the following charges: assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, leaving the scene of a crash that caused personal injury, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, operating after license was suspended for a previous OUI offense, failure to stop for police, speeding and a marked lanes violation. Williams was held without bail due to a violation of a previous probationary condition.

According to State Police, a trooper attempted to stop Williams, who was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu sedan, for vehicle violations at the Holyoke rest area on the northbound side of Interstate 91. The male trooper, identified only as belonging to State Police Troop B, was standing outside the vehicle attempting to secure Williams when the suspect drove off, allegedly dragging the trooper a short distance and striking the trooper’s cruiser and other vehicles. The trooper managed to return to his vehicle and pursue Williams while radioing for backup.

Several minutes after fleeing the scene, Williams’ vehicle went off the road and crashed, and he ran into nearby woods heading toward Route 5, according to State Police. Multiple patrols and K-9s were dispatched to the scene and began a search. Nearly two dozen troopers as well as police from Northampton and Easthampton assisted in the search along the nearby bike trail and railroad tracks. Northampton Police launched a drone to assist in the search, and Easthampton Police launched a boat in the Connecticut River.

State Police K-9 Unit Sgt. Jack Doherty and K-9 Roxy found Williams at 5:35 p.m. in the area of East Street and Route 5 in Easthampton, and took him into custody, about two-and-a-half hours after he initially dragged the officer.

The trooper was taken to Cooley Dickinson Hospital and treated and released for minor lower body injuries, according to State Police. Williams had also been driving with a license that had been suspended from a previous OUI offense, according to the charges brought against him.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.

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