Police use drone to locate unconscious man after allegedly fleeing from severe crash in Plymouth County

An unconscious man was found in a wooded area by a police drone after he allegedly fled from a severe crash.

According to Lt. Steven Dearth, on Saturday, just before 4:30 a.m., Officers responded to a single vehicle crash on Lincoln Street in Hingham in which the driver had ran away. A witness told Officers the driver had been alone in the SUV. When the witness said he was going to call 9-1-1, the driver ran away.

An investigation showed the SUV, a 2020 Chevrolet Suburban, had been heading south at a high rate of speed on Lincoln Street when it drove off the road and struck a large tree. The impact was severe, and it caused it to spin 180 degrees and stop near utility pole on the opposite side of the road. The impact caused a tire and a portion of the axel to fully detach and land further in the road. Officers noticed blood on the driver’s side airbag.

In an attempt to locate the driver a police drone was launched as well as a Hingham Police K9 and a nearby Massachusetts State Police K9 arrived to assist. As they began to search the police drone located a person lying face down in the wood line near Bremer Circle. Officers arrived and found the man was unconscious. After a short time, they were able to wake him. They noticed the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on him and that his eyes were glassy and bloodshot. He matched the description of the driver given by the witness. They also found items in the Suburban with his name on them. He was transported by ambulance to South Shore Hospital.

The driver, a 23-year-old Quincy man, was issued citations for Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol, Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Crash, Negligent Operation, Marked Lanes Violation, and Speeding. His name was not released by police because he was not arrested. He is being summonsed to court on the charges at a future date.