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Man causes crash and then leads police on high speed chase, with toddler son in SUV

E-mail|Link|Comments () July 23, 2010 10:56 AM

By L. Finch, Globe Correspondent

A 35-year-old man faces hit-and-run and child endangerment charges after he allegedly crashed his SUV into a car in Dartmouth Thursday night, seriously injuring a New Bedford woman, before speeding off – all with his 3-year-old son in the car, police said.

Dartmouth PD

Jeffrey Brandt Kirby

Jeffrey Brandt Kirby of Dartmouth struck the back of a 1996 Mitsubish Galant sedan traveling on Faunce Corner Road in Darmouth with his SUV around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dartmouth police said in a statement. Kirby was driving a 2004 GMC Yukon, police said.

The driver of the Galant lost control of the car, hitting the curb and rolling several times, police said.

A 66-year-old woman who was riding in the front passenger seat was airlifted to Rhode Island Hospital with serious injuries, police said. She remains in serious condition this morning, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Four other people in the car suffered minor injuries and were treated at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford and released.

A witness using their cellphone tailed Kirby -- while keeping police abreast of their locations -- as he sped away west on I-195. The driver told police that Kirby was driving at about 100 miles an hour and nearly lost control of his SUV, police said.

Police arrested Kirby a few minutes later in Fall River, about 11 miles after he allegedly first slammed into the car. He and his son were unharmed.

Once at the police station, Kirby showed signs that he was under the influence of narcotic drugs, Dartmouth Detective Robert Levinson said. Police notified the Department of Children and Families and Kirby’s son is staying with relatives, he said.

Kirby is scheduled for arraignment this afternoon in New Bedford District Court on several charges, including operating under the influence of drugs resulting in a serious injury, reckless endangerment of a child, leaving the scene of a personal injury, speeding and operating to endanger.