Massachusetts police are asking for the public's help identifying multiple people who investigators say surrounded and assaulted an 82-year-old driver in Boston last week. State police said members of a group of 30 to 40 off-road motorcycles and ATVs kicked the victim’s car, with at least one suspect throwing a piece of pipe through the elderly man's vehicle window while another threw a large rock through one of the car windows. The victim suffered serious injuries and remains hospitalized but is expected to survive, according to police. State police said the suspects were operating dirt bikes and ATVs near Fenway Park last Thursday around 7:30 p.m.According to police, the victim was driving his vehicle when he observed 30 to 40 off-road motorcycles and ATVs approaching him. "He was going to pick up a turkey. That's all he was doing. A simple errand at 7:30 at night," the victim's daughter told sister station WCVB. "You wouldn't think that it would be a dangerous time for someone to be out."State police said the victim was forced onto the curb on the right-hand side of the road, with several members of the group smashing the windows of the victim’s car.Police said the victim was able to drive away from the scene, with the intention of driving to a police station to get help.Investigators say several of the dirt bike and ATV operators followed him and began kicking and striking the victim’s vehicle again. Police said the elderly victim "attempted to drive evasively to get away from the suspects."Investigators said the driver got stuck at the top of an off-ramp, where he was attacked by one of the riders after he put his window down, attempting to ask the occupants in another vehicle to call 911 for help. Police said the rider, a male, approached the elderly driver and began punching him through the open window. At the same time, other riders kicked the victim’s car. One of the suspects threw a piece of pipe through the car’s rear window, while another threw a large rock through one of the car windows, according to police. "We do look at this as an attempted murder," the victim's daughter said. "This wasn't just some sort of assault. He could have really died."The victim's daughter said her father recently underwent heart surgery. "The only thing he could do was protect his heart," she said. "That's why he's got such a large bruise on his arm.""He's definitely sad and discouraged," his daughter said. "He described it as a nightmare and I think that's exactly what it was for him."State police said the driver was eventually able to escape the traffic and attack at that location, driving to a nearby gas station, where he got out of his car and fell to the ground. Boston EMS responded and transported him to a nearby hospital, where he remained hospitalized days later."He wasn't doing anything wrong. He's simply traveling somewhere and then he gets attacked, and it's heartbreaking for us to know that it's not safe for our 82-year-old father to be out by himself," the victim's daughter said. "Discouraged at humanity in general to know that someone — or more than someone — can get together and beat on a defenseless elderly man." Police ask anyone who witnessed the incident or parts of it, or who saw the group of dirt bike and ATV riders or has information about them, to call investigators. "We also ask that anyone who may have captured cell phone footage of the group or the incident, or who called 911 to report the incident, to call us as well," state police said. "Anyone who has any such information, photos or footage or who called 911 that night is asked to call the State Police Detective Unit for Suffolk County at 617-727-8817."
Massachusetts police are asking for the public's help identifying multiple people who investigators say surrounded and assaulted an 82-year-old driver in Boston last week.
State police said members of a group of 30 to 40 off-road motorcycles and ATVs kicked the victim’s car, with at least one suspect throwing a piece of pipe through the elderly man's vehicle window while another threw a large rock through one of the car windows.
The victim suffered serious injuries and remains hospitalized but is expected to survive, according to police.
State police said the suspects were operating dirt bikes and ATVs near Fenway Park last Thursday around 7:30 p.m.
According to police, the victim was driving his vehicle when he observed 30 to 40 off-road motorcycles and ATVs approaching him.
"He was going to pick up a turkey. That's all he was doing. A simple errand at 7:30 at night," the victim's daughter told sister station WCVB. "You wouldn't think that it would be a dangerous time for someone to be out."
State police said the victim was forced onto the curb on the right-hand side of the road, with several members of the group smashing the windows of the victim’s car.
Police said the victim was able to drive away from the scene, with the intention of driving to a police station to get help.
Investigators say several of the dirt bike and ATV operators followed him and began kicking and striking the victim’s vehicle again.
Police said the elderly victim "attempted to drive evasively to get away from the suspects."
Investigators said the driver got stuck at the top of an off-ramp, where he was attacked by one of the riders after he put his window down, attempting to ask the occupants in another vehicle to call 911 for help.
Police said the rider, a male, approached the elderly driver and began punching him through the open window. At the same time, other riders kicked the victim’s car. One of the suspects threw a piece of pipe through the car’s rear window, while another threw a large rock through one of the car windows, according to police.
"We do look at this as an attempted murder," the victim's daughter said. "This wasn't just some sort of assault. He could have really died."
The victim's daughter said her father recently underwent heart surgery. "The only thing he could do was protect his heart," she said. "That's why he's got such a large bruise on his arm."
"He's definitely sad and discouraged," his daughter said. "He described it as a nightmare and I think that's exactly what it was for him."
State police said the driver was eventually able to escape the traffic and attack at that location, driving to a nearby gas station, where he got out of his car and fell to the ground.
Boston EMS responded and transported him to a nearby hospital, where he remained hospitalized days later.
"He wasn't doing anything wrong. He's simply traveling somewhere and then he gets attacked, and it's heartbreaking for us to know that it's not safe for our 82-year-old father to be out by himself," the victim's daughter said. "Discouraged at humanity in general to know that someone — or more than someone — can get together and beat on a defenseless elderly man."
Police ask anyone who witnessed the incident or parts of it, or who saw the group of dirt bike and ATV riders or has information about them, to call investigators.
"We also ask that anyone who may have captured cell phone footage of the group or the incident, or who called 911 to report the incident, to call us as well," state police said. "Anyone who has any such information, photos or footage or who called 911 that night is asked to call the State Police Detective Unit for Suffolk County at 617-727-8817."
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