Driver charged after dragging woman 3 miles along Massachusetts highway

BOSTON (Reuters) - A Massachusetts man was charged on Tuesday in the death of a woman dragged under his pickup truck for three miles (five kilometers) along a highway south of Boston, after a dispute about a motel bill. Moses Acloque, 22, pleaded not guilty to charges including motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation and leaving the scene of an accident causing the death of motel manager Kanchanben Patel, 58, who was dragged under his truck until he was stopped by police, according to the Norfolk County District Attorney's office. Police pursued Acloque after spotting a vehicle driving erratically on Route 1 south of Boston. When a state trooper pulled that car over, the driver told the trooper he had been driving erratically to draw attention to Acloque, according to a police report. The trooper then saw Patel's body, which had fallen out from under Acloque's truck. Acloque's pickup struck Patel and another manager of the motel, who suffered minor injuries, after a dispute about the bill, officials said. Acloque's attorney told reporters that his client had not realized that he had hurt anyone, local media reported. Acloque was released on bail, according to court officials. (Reporting by Scott Malone; editing by Gunna Dickson)