Suspect Arraigned in 'Horrific' Dragging Case
Complete write-thru 3 p.m., Feb. 18.
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District Attorney TimothyShugrue says the community has been 'really upset' by this case.
William Gross, 65, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Wednesday for negligent motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene. He was arrested Monday after police investigators narrowed down the type of car seen on video at the accident scene.
Police say Colbert had fallen in the road at the Francis Avenue and Linden Street intersection on Feb. 10 before he was struck and dragged nearly four miles. His body was found on West Housatonic Street.
Gross is being held on $250,000 cash bail in the Berkshire County House of Corrections. District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said the case will go to a grand jury and foresees additional charges being placed.
"I think this community was really upset by this case," Shugrue said while being interviewed by the press after the morning arraignment.
"It's a horrific case, and the fact that someone was fleeing, and there was someone that was stuck there that could have been treated, and potentially in the initial stages, could have been potentially saved."
Colbert was coming from a house on Francis Avenue about 11:30 on Feb. 10 when fell in the road and had trouble getting up, according to Shugrue.
"A good Samaritan pulled up on Linden Street, blocked the roadway, and was trying to assist him. Two other cars pulled up on the other side of Linden Street and had the other part of the roadway also sort of blocked, so it was like one middle lane in the middle of that," Shugrue said.
"Mr. Colbert was on the ground. He hurt his ankle and was unable to get up. This woman called 911, and the ambulance and police were on their way. However, at this point in time, this was 11:33, approximately two minutes later, about 11:35, the defendant, William Gross, 65, of Hancock, Massachusetts, sped through the area."
Footage from Thing or Two Variety, at the intersection of Linden and Francis, depicts someone asking a man if he needs medical assistance, then a blue Honda Civic coupe traveling westbound on Linden through the intersection, a "thud noise" when the vehicle goes off camera, and a woman yelling "Oh my god" several times.
Shurgrue said Gross pushed Colbert down Linden, took a left on Onota Street, a right onto West Street, a left onto Merriam Street, and then a right onto West Housatonic Street. Video surveillance on West Housatonic Street near McDonald's and the fire station shows that Colbert was underneath the car by then, he said.
Colbert was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the police report, he was unable to be identified until the medical examiner located his identification in his pocket during the autopsy.
"From there, we have a debris field, unfortunately, of remains that go for another approximate mile," Shugrue reported.
"The entire distance that this person was dragged, pushed, and put under the car was 3.9 miles. Suffered serious injuries. There was a large debris field, unfortunately, of this poor individual who died a horrific, horrific death."
The documents filed in court offer a ghastly picture of the damage done to Colbert's body: broken legs and pelvis, charring and exposure of his internal organs.
The intersection was canvassed with a thermal drone, but police were unable to locate the victim there. Around 11:49 p.m., dispatch received two 911 calls reporting a person lying in the roadway in front of the Best Western at 1350 West Housatonic St. who appeared to have been struck by a vehicle.
The Pittsfield Fire responded about five minutes later, followed by Action Ambulance and police. Emergency responders observed that the victim's injuries were consistent with being dragged under a vehicle for a "lengthy distance."
Shugrue said it was two Berkshire Medical Center employees who found Colbert in front of the Best Western and blocked the roadway.
"First, they said, are you OK? And then as soon as they saw him, bloody screams, because it was bad, it was really bad. It was just an awful scene to see," he said.
Gross initially refused to appear in the courtroom, but was ordered to come out by the judge. Shugrue said this is required for arraignments.
The DA said Gross gave several different versions of his story to police, including that he was leaving BMC after work, which Shugrue doesn't believe to be true, and that he thought he hit a log. Gross reportedly "consumed some items that led him to the hospital" on Monday, and his arraignment was pushed to Wednesday.
Gross reportedly told police that he took 20 milligrams of prescribed Xanax when they came to his home because he "didn't want to go through this."
Shugrue could not speak to whether Gross had alcohol or other substances in his system on the night of the incident.
"We have video surveillance from two locations that shows the vehicle, then, at that point in time backs up. As it backs up, you can see the passenger side of the vehicle rise up as if it's driving over an object, which in this case was the body, drives up, and then there's the body there," he said about the area where Colbert was found on West Housatonic Street.
"The defendant later admits that he saw the body was there. He panicked, and he drove around, went to his house, in Hancock. Two days later, he attempted to wash his car. He was very well aware that we were looking for him and that we were out trying to solve this case."
He credited the police, residents, and business owners for bringing forward a defendant through video surveillance and vehicle registry searches, explaining that only 10 percent of hit-and-run cases are usually solved. Police were working off a picture of the side of a dark car that did not show the license plate.
Shugrue said the older vehicle is small and low to the ground, while Colbert was over 6-feet tall and probably more than 250 pounds, he said.
The DA anticipates that Gross will be indicted for an additional count of manslaughter, which carries a 20-year sentence, and the destruction of evidence. Gross is expected to have a defense attorney by next week.
Tags: fatal, hit & run, MVI, pedestrians,
