UPDATE: Fall River Police investigating after driver crashes after shooting claim

Police are investigating after a driver was reportedly shot at and then crashed in Fall River on Wednesday.

According to Detective Sergeant Moses Pereira, at approximately 7:00 p.m., officers responded to the area of Fourth St. and Wade St. in response to a motor vehicle collision. While en route, officers were advised that the occupants of an involved vehicle fled the area on foot. Upon arrival, officers located the 32-year-old operator of the vehicle with an injury to his
left cheek, yelling that he had been shot.

The male was transported to St. Luke’s hospital for medical evaluation. He would later be treated and released from the hospital with a minor injury. The juvenile passenger in the vehicle did not sustain any injuries in the incident.

Detectives assigned to the Major Crimes Division conducted several interviews of residents in the area as well as the passenger in the motor vehicle, none of which reported hearing any gunshots in the area at the time of the motor vehicle collision. The only individual who reported the sound of gunshots is the operator whose vehicle struck a parked car, before he and the juvenile fled the area on foot. His vehicle did not appear to sustain any damage consistent with having been shot at.

Based on a preliminary investigation, Perreira stated that there is no credible evidence of a shots fired incident. The driver’s injuries were not consistent with a gunshot wound, his vehicle did not sustain any damage, as one would expect, had his vehicle been fired upon causing him to be struck in the face, and no one, including his passenger reported hearing the sound of gunshots. Perreira also stated that no evidence of a shooting was located at the scene.

The Major Crimes Division continues to investigate the cause of the accident as well as the operator’s claims.