Driver Charged in 'Life-Threatening' Operation During Newton Chase

By Charlene Arsenault

A Framingham man accused of striking a state trooper with his car door and leading police on a high speed chase through Newton over the weekend faced arraignment on Wednesday, said Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley.

Edward Hugill was arraigned on charges of assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, failure to stop for police, operating with a suspended license, speeding, speeding to endanger, and a marked lanes violation.

Assistant District Attorney Kaushal Rana requested $20,000 bail and moved to revoke Hugill’s open bail on a 2015 case out of Framingham District Court charging distribution of a Class D substance as a subsequent offense and a 2011 case out of the same court charging possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance, possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance, unlawful possession of a stun gun, and a school zone violation, said the release.

Bail was set at $8,000 and Hugill was ordered to wear a GPS monitor as well as undergo drug and alcohol testing.

Hugill was, according to prosecutors, on probation at the time of his arrest for a March conviction for distributing Class D substances, possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance, possession of a Class B substance, possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance, theft of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and improper storage of a firearm.

A Newton trooper stopped Hugill around 12:25 a.m. on Saturday after clocking his 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer going 60 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone approaching the tolls on the Route 90 in Allston. Police said Hugill’s vehicle rolled into the cruiser’s push bumper.

Troopers found that his license had been suspended, resulting in a call for a tow of his car. He was ordered to turn off his car, and Hugill instead opened the driver’s side door and drove in reverse, which caused the open door to hit the trooper and knock him over. Hugill drove in reverse another 100 feet until the vehicle stalled, then restarted the engine and accelerated forward, said the announcement. He then sped through the tolls and crossed over four lanes of eastbound traffic to turn into a westbound lane.

Hugill allegedly led police on a chase of speeds up to 100 miles per hour, maintaining speeds of upwards of 90 miles per hour for a distance of more than three miles, prosecutors said.

As he did so, he turned off the vehicles headlights and veered across all travel lanes without signaling, causing other drivers to brake and swerve abruptly to avoid a collision.

“We’re extremely fortunate that no one was seriously injured or worse,” Conley said in the statement. “The evidence suggests life-threatening conditions caused by this defendant’s choices and actions.”

Hugill got off at the 17 off ramp toward Newton, driving over the curb and striking another vehicle. He hit another vehicle as he went through a red light and proceeded to drive the wrong way over the Washington Street bridge, prosecutors said.

Troopers drove to a nearby rotary and entered the roadway operating in the right direction, but Hugill’s vehicle could not be located in the area. A search conducted by State, Newton, and Watertown police was unsuccessful; however, State Police were still in possession of Hugil’s invalid driver’s license and vehicle registration.

State Police obtained a warrant for his arrest yesterday. He returns to court July 23.