Published in the July 20, 2017 edition
NORTH READING – North Reading Police arrested a man over the weekend on numerous charges after he was allegedly involved in four separate motor vehicle crashes. Joel Mann, 25, of East Boston, was charged with Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol, Assault and Battery on a Public Employee, Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Disorderly Conduct, Speeding, Resisting Arrest, and Leaving the Scene of an Accident after an incident that occurred in town on Saturday evening.
North Reading Police reported that On Saturday, July 15 at approximately 9:35 p.m., they received a 911 call from a local establishment that the suspect had recently left the building and appeared to be highly intoxicated. The caller was able to provide police with the license plate number of the vehicle that he was operating.
North Reading dispatch then began receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a vehicle operating at a high rate of speed. Callers also reported several collisions at the intersection of North and Main streets as well as the intersection of Park and Main streets.
North Reading Police responded to the intersection of Park and Main streets and observed a crash in the middle of the roadway on Main Street, which caused the road to be temporarily closed. One of the vehicles involved matched the plate number and description of Mann’s vehicle.
North Reading Police Officers and EMTs began rendering first aid to Mann, at which time he allegedly became combative, assaulting a North Reading Firefighter/Paramedic. Mann allegedly continued to be non-compliant, assaultive and verbally aggressive to first responders and police were forced to deploy their Taser weapons to subdue him.
The suspect was subsequently placed under arrest without further incident and transported to Winchester Hospital for treatment for injuries that were believed to be non-life threatening.
Two other people were also transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries as a result of the crashes.
Mann was discharged from the hospital and transferred to the North Reading Police Station on Sunday morning. He was released on $200 bail pending his arraignment at Woburn District Court.
