A City of Boston employee helped catch a hit and run driver that injured one woman on Tuesday morning.
According to Boston police, the incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. near Ellington Street and Blue Hill Avenue in Boston's Mattapan neighborhood.
The suspect, Joseph Morrison, 28, of Dorchester, and the victim, who necn has learned is a Boston school teacher, were both driving their cars on Blue Hill Avenue when Morrison allegedly hit the rear end of the victim's car, causing some minor damage.
Morrison attempted to back up but struck the vehicle stopped in traffic behind him, according to police.
As a result, Morrison allegedly began to drive forward to leave, but the victim left her vehicle in an attempt to stop him, which is when police say Morrison hit the victim and then drove away.
A City of Boston employee observed the incident and began to follow Morrison once he drove away and called 911 to report a pedestrian struck, according to police.
Morrison allegedly hit another vehicle, this time a Hummer, on Washington Street and was forced to come to a stop; Morrison was then arrested by Boston police arriving at the scene.
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The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
Morrison appeared in Dorchester District Court Tuesday afternoon on multiple charges, including leaving the scene of an accident and causing personal injury.
The employee who got Morrison's plate number and called 911 says the ordeal was horrible.
"I was appalled and said, 'Is this really happeneing?' I said, 'I got to get this guy's license plate,' because he took right off," William Joyce told necn.
In court, Morrison's attorney said he was on his way to his job at Home Depot, and said he had a panic attack.
"If he's not at work, he supports his fiancee and 6-year-old daughter. He does not go out at night, he does not have any issues with substance abuse. He is a family man," Tamari Kovach, defense attorney, said.
The victim, though, says she's just glad she's alive.
"There was something that was going on with him, and it just scares me that somebody didn't care at all. What if I had been hit by a truck or something?" she said.
