On Wednesday, a Boston man confessed to driving a jeep in a hit and run that killed an 80-year-old man who was walking in a crosswalk. The elderly man died in the hospital, and police arrested the driver shortly after the driver told a reporter he had slammed into the elderly gentleman.
“People hit and run people all the time,” 23-year-old suspect Phocian Fitts told Fox 25 News reporter Drew Karedes. “It just happened to be an unfortunate situation where I was driving, I don’t take drugs, I wasn’t intoxicated.”
Fitts described the accident as follows: “I was listening to my music, but as I’m driving, I’m driving too quick, so I’m driving too quick to the point where I couldn’t really stop, but it was green light. So the guy was walking, the light is green, and I’m driving, pressing the horn, pressing the horn. Beep beep beep beep! It was either I was gonna die and crash into a pole, so when it came down to it, man, accidents happen, man.”
“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
The police had already questioned Fitts, but his confession only came in discussion with Karedes. The police had taken him into custody but released him on the grounds they did not have enough evidence to hold him.
Shortly after Fox 25 News broadcast at 10 p.m., cops showed up and arrested Fitts based on the information in his interview. He was back in jail before the next broadcast at 11 p.m.
On Thursday morning, the prosecutor cited Fitts’ television confession in court. The suspect was charged with leaving the scene after an accident involving personal injury or death and he was charged with motor vehicle manslaughter.
Prosecutor cited @DrewKaredes report last night where Fitts admitted to the hit and run #boston25
— Ted Daniel (@tvnewzted) June 7, 2018
Fitts did not express contrition and stood by his decision to keep driving, even after hitting a man in broad daylight. “First off I was scared and worried because I didn’t know what can happen that’s why I left I said, ‘God forbid I hope he’s okay,” the suspect said. The 80-year-old man was not “okay.” After being transmitted to a local hospital, he died from his injuries.
In his interview, the suspect said police released him “because I’m not guilty. I’m a real gangsta, not in a bad way. I’m a gangsta because I help out the community and I look out for the youth.”
Fitts, who was already on probation for hitting a mailman in 2014, was held on $10,000 cash bail and GPS monitoring if he can make the bail.
Judge orders Fitts held on 10k cash bail and GPS monitoring if he makes it. Prosecutor had asked for 15k. #boston25
— Ted Daniel (@tvnewzted) June 7, 2018
Watch the news segment below.
HT: Mediaite
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