Updated with arraignment info.
Boston Police report charging Phocian Fitts, 23, of Brighton, with fatally hitting Theodore Schwalb, 80, and then driving away yesterday.
Fitts was held in lieu of $10,000 bail at his arraignment today in Brighton Municipal Court and had his license suspended by the RMV, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.
Police say Schwalb was crossing Commonwealth Avenue at Griggs Street around 12:50 p.m. when Fitts hit him with his Jeep, then drove away.
Although police caught up with Fitts fairly quickly at his home on Fidelis Way, where he'd parked the now damaged Jeep, registered to another family member, they did not initially arrest him because they were unsure if he was the driver. But then WFXT aired an interview with him in which he admitted hitting Schwalb - with a green light but while speeding.
Based on those admissions - which corroborated physical evidence, witness interviews, and other information gathered through the afternoon and into the night - Boston Police placed Fitts under arrest at approximately 10:30 p.m.
The evidence included dash-camera video from the driver of a vehicle behind Fitts, the DA's office reports:
Among those witnesses was the driver of a vehicle traveling behind the Jeep who provided video footage from a dashboard camera. The footage showed that the Jeep did not brake before or after the fatal collision.
In the interview, Fitts said he had the green light and he had to decide between hitting the man or dying himself by swerving into something.
“Accidents happen...people hit and run people all the time.” Driver making no apologies in hit & run crash that killed 80 year old man in Commonwealth Ave crosswalk #Boston25 EXCLUSIVE coming up pic.twitter.com/TPkbDN4yg6
— Drew Karedes (@DrewKaredes) June 7, 2018
Police continue to seek witnesses: Contact detectives at 617-343-4470.
Innocent, etc.
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Comments
I was on a jury that
By Anonymous
Fri, 06/08/2018 - 12:23am
I was on a jury that nullified a workplace termination assault and battery, even as the prosecutor tried to introduce priors which indicated a pattern, I think she knew she had a flawed victim.
Which DA candidates did you like the best at the ACLU forum tonight at Hibernian Hall and why?
"A Flawed Victim"
By anon
Fri, 06/08/2018 - 9:27am
You violated your oath as a juror because the victim was "flawed?" You realize that includes literally all people, right?
no, we decided what was true and what was false
By Anonymous
Sat, 06/09/2018 - 3:41am
no, we decided what was true and what was false and we rendered our findings on the charges.
I wonder how his lawyer will handle this
By merlinmurph
Fri, 06/08/2018 - 8:28am
So, here we have someone, on camera, confess to hitting a pedestrian with total disregard for the pedestrian's life. I wonder how his lawyer will exclude this interview in the trial, or otherwise defend him.
Brighton man charged for fatal pedestrian crash on Comm Ave.
By Brighton
Fri, 06/08/2018 - 10:03pm
What a "POS" ! He dindu nuffin. He's the victim".
According to Beth Germano WBZ-TV, he served 6 months in jail for armed robbery. He was already on probation for beating up the mailman.
The younger generation are heartless, cold and have no empathy. They aren't being brought up with love and care, respect or responsibility.
Did you notice the tattoo on his upper cheek, underneath his outer right eye ? Isn't that a "gang" symbol ?
With the "new" lenient "Criminal Justice Reform" that the State Legislature HAD TO PASS, will he get a slap on the wrist because he grew up "supposedly" poor and was disadvantaged ? Gee, that Jeep Cherokee looked pretty new looking.
Don't we already have "soft" judges ? The African man with a green card who robbed a bank twice so the judge gave him a "light " sentence so he didn't get deported. Then he went to a Southie penthouse and slit the throats of 2 doctors.
Judge Feeley who let a dangerous man out on bail and he killed a Maine police officer. The same thing for a Dominican drug dealer who had heroin and cocaine packets in his car. He didn't want him to get deported and break up his family. He was just a "working" man trying to support his family.
Is my thinking wrong or is the world upside down ?
This Brighton man took the life of an 80 year old who was a teacher for 40 years and was responsible and "contributed" to society. This guy looks "irresponsible" and is a "taker" from society.
I pity the next generation.
Okay whatever
By SwirlyGrrl
Fri, 06/08/2018 - 10:28pm
That must explain why crime is so much lower than it was in the peak young adult years of the baby boom. Yep
I also had no idea that Beauregard Child Snatcher and Donald "Death Penalty for Innocent Blacks accused of crimes" Trump were of this younger generation.
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