WESTFIELD – A city man is facing assault and motor vehicle charges after he allegedly drove his car repeatedly into another vehicle on Crane Avenue.
City police report that a caller reported an accident on Mill Street at 1:56 p.m. and officers Steven Carrington and Michael Curran arrived at the accident scene within seconds of each other. Curran reports he arrived to find a car on a Crane Avenue lawn and he spoke with the occupants who said they were shaken up but not injured.
A second car was stopped on Crane Avenue and the operator said he was not injured either.
Curran reports that the first operator said that he was backing out of a driveway on to Crane Avenue, and when he moved into the roadway he heard a horn sounding and looked in his rearview mirror to see an approaching vehicle with an operator who appear do be very angry.
The first operator said that he first stopped but, when the second car did not pass, he pulled into the westbound lane to let it pass but the other vehicle followed suit.
The man said when he tried to move back into the eastbound lane the second vehicle rammed his car and struck it repeatedly, forcing his car on to a resident’s lawn.
The second operator, identified as Mark R. Gilman, 28, of 69 Crane Avenue, said that he had been on his way to work when he found his passage blocked by another car which was backing out of a driveway.
He said that he sounded his horn and the other car stopped but, when he tried to pass it, it moved into his path.
Gilman said he that was when he intentionally rammed the other car repeatedly, forcing it on to a lawn.
Curran reports that Gilman was arrested for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a motor vehicle), malicious damage to a motor vehicle and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
Both of the occupants in the first vehicle declined medical assistance. Gilman’s car was towed to the police impound yard.
Gilman is expected to be arraigned in Westfield District Court on Friday.
