Wild pursuit ends in man's arrest
Stolen tow truck hits several cars
The tow truck driver had just parked on Wenham Street in Jamaica Plain yesterday morning, left the key in the ignition and the engine running, and walked into the Dunkin' Donuts shop on Hyde Park Avenue.
When he walked out with his cup of coffee, the truck was gone.
"I was thinking, 'OK, this is a joke,' " said the driver, who identified himself only as Mike.
The disappearance was not the work of a mischievous co-worker, but a stranger, who stole the truck and raced down city streets, terrifying other drivers, crashing into several cars, and injuring at least one person before the vehicle struck another tow truck owned by the same company, ending the 3-mile ride.
Police said Marcus Harris, 22, of Brockton, who was pursued by about 15 Boston and State Police cars, drove over a set of spike trips police had placed at Blue Hill Avenue and American Legion Highway, puncturing two tires, before his collision with the tow truck.
As the suspect sat in the car, several officers pulled out batons and aimed their guns at the truck before smashing the passenger side window with a crowbar.
They pulled him out and wrestled him to the ground. As he was led away in handcuffs, his face was bleeding and bruised, and his shirt was torn.
Yesterday, wearing a dark sweatshirt with a hood that concealed his face, Harris appeared in Dorchester District Court to face charges including assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and motor vehicle larceny.
A judge decided to wait to arraign him today so a qualified lawyer from the Committee for Public Counsel Services could be appointed to represent him, prosecutors said.
Harris, who fidgeted throughout the hearing, was ordered held without bail. He is scheduled to be evaluated by a court-appointed psychologist tomorrow.
Witnesses along the route said they had never seen such a chaotic chase. It began about 10:30 a.m., when Mike, who works for Stanley Towing Service in Jamaica Plain, called police to report that his truck had been stolen.
Minutes later, State Trooper William McSweeney, who was directing traffic in Dorchester, saw a tow truck pass and realized it matched the description of the stolen vehicle, according to court records.
McSweeney began to chase the truck down Talbot Avenue and at one point, the vehicle went into reverse, crashing into McSweeney's cruiser.
The truck continued on Norfolk Street and tried again to back into the cruiser, but this time McSweeney managed to avoid being hit.
Dozens of city and State Police soon joined the chase, which continued down American Legion Highway, where the truck rear-ended a green
Witnesses said the driver of the Nissan, a young man, crawled out of the car and lay on a nearby patch of grass.
Ron Addison was drinking a cup of coffee in McDonald's when he heard the sound of screeching tires and saw the victim lying down, shoeless and complaining about pain in his leg.
Police showed up within seconds, Addision said, and ambulance workers pulled him onto a stretcher and took him to the hospital.
"He's a lucky kid," Addison said. "It could have been much worse."
After hitting the Nissan, the tow truck continued down American Legion Highway. Then, near Canterbury Street, a witness said, it rear-ended a Grand Marquis, shattering the sedan's back windshield, and sent it smashing into a car parked in front of Baby Nat's Fruitland.
The driver of the Grand Marquis managed to walk out of his car, said Rick Canale, manager of Exotic Flowers on American Legion Highway.
"He was very shaken, but he was OK," he said. "His car was basically accordioned."
About one hour later, shattered glass was strewn around the intersection. In the flower shop, Canale and other store employees talked with customers about what they had witnessed.
Witnesses estimated that the chase had reached speeds of more than 70 miles per hour.
"It was wild," Canale said. "Never seen anything like that."
Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com. 
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
