82-year-old brutally attacked by mob of dirt bike, ATV riders, Massachusetts cops say
A mob of dirt bike and ATV riders swarmed an 82-year-old man driving in his car in a brutal attack that left him seriously injured, Massachusetts state police said.
Now, authorities are seeking assistance in identifying suspects who took part in the potentially unprompted attack on the man, whose name was withheld, driving in his 1996 Buick Century in Boston on Nov. 18, according to a news release.
“This was a despicable and cowardly act,” David Procopio, a state police spokesperson, told McClatchy News over email.
While driving in the city approaching an overpass around 7:30 p.m., the victim saw “30 to 40 off-road motorcycles and ATVs” heading toward him.
The riders forced the man’s car onto the curb on the road’s right side and began smashing his windows, police said.
Photos of the car released by police show a badly shattered front window and other windows with glass no longer remaining.
Afterward, the man was able to drive away with the intention of going to a police station for help, but several riders followed in pursuit and began kicking and striking his car, police said.
As he continued trying to drive away from the horde of attackers, he got stuck in traffic at an off-ramp.
When the 82-year-old rolled down his window to tell another driver to call 911, one of the riders, a male, got off his bike or ATV and began punching the victim through the window, police said.
Others started kicking his car, while one suspect threw a piece of pipe through the car’s rear window, which is no longer there, photos show.
Then, a rock came flying into a different car window, thrown by another suspect, police said.
Traffic started to flow and the victim made a left turn, driving himself to Joe’s Kwik Market, where he fell to the ground after stepping out of his car.
“He was going to pick up a turkey. That’s all he was doing. A simple errand at 7:30 at night,” the man’s daughter, who said she considered the attack an attempted murder, told WCVB.
“You wouldn’t think that it would be a dangerous time for someone to be out.”
He was taken to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center by Boston EMS, where Procopio confirmed he is still hospitalized, and is expected to survive, police said.
Authorities released a video of the suspected riders before the attack ensued, and they are seen driving through the city streets alongside cars in a huge group.
No arrests have been made as of the morning of Nov. 24, Procopio said.
“The investigation into the facts and circumstances of the attack, including potential motives, if any, remains active,” police said in the release.
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