Driver Accused In Leominster Hit & Run Charged With Witness Intimidation
LEOMINSTER (CBS) - A driver suspected in a hit and run in Leominster has been arrested and charged with witness intimidation.
Daniel Brand, 34, of Leominster turned himself into police Friday. Investigators say he intimidated the main witness in the case.
Joshua Carillo, 16, was on a bike when he was struck by a car on Route 12 Monday night. He ended up with two broken legs.
Police say the driver traveled for about a mile with Joshua's bike pinned underneath the vehicle before finally dislodging it. Officers found the Honda, with gouges underneath, and seized it late Wednesday night.
The key piece of evidence came from a witness who came forward to say she saw Brand getting rid of the teen's bike, according to police.
When police went to talk with the witness on Friday, they say Brand had paid her a visit. "He told her 'You better not talk to the police I'm not going down for this,'" Leominster Police Lt. Michael Goldman said.
Talking through a cracked doorway, Cheryl Brand says her husband did talk with the woman.
"I just don't understand why the witness would be so scared as my husband and his friend went to go see her and had a nice conversation," Cheryl Brand told WBZ-TV.
Police said they knew who the driver was, but did not release his name, identifying him only as a 34-year-old married father of three. They added that the car isn't registered to him and he does not have a valid driver's license.
Investigators said there's been no arrest for the hit and run because they still need more evidence.
"His story is not consistent, but we want to get a search warrant for (the driver's) phone and forensics on the bike," Lt. Michael Goldman told reporters Thursday.
Police expect that forensic testing to take weeks or months.
If there's an arrest for the hit and run, the driver will face a misdemeanor for the leaving the scene of an accident. However, he could be charged with a felony for property damage.
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