HANOVER, Massachusetts – A Hanover police officer has been indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges linked to a fatal February hit-and-run collision that he allegedly caused while operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
Thomas Hayes, 36, of Hanover, faces felony charges of leaving the scene of a crash causing personal injury or death, and motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence and recklessly. Court records indicate he is also charged with a misdemeanor count of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation.
A Plymouth County grand jury issued the indictment against Hayes on May 28, though an arraignment date has not yet been scheduled. Hayes remains on administrative leave from the Hanover Police Department.
The incident occurred on the morning of February 16, when Brockton police officers responded to a report of an unresponsive man discovered in a roadside snowbank. The victim, identified as 23-year-old Alfredo Alves, was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Hours following the discovery, an individual contacted the Brockton police and stated they were a passenger in the vehicle that struck Alves. This witness named Hayes as the driver during the hit-and-run, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office.
Investigators subsequently interviewed a second passenger who was in the vehicle, a 2022 Ford Explorer, during the crash. That passenger told law enforcement that the vehicle sustained windshield damage from the impact. Acting on this information, police located a Ford Explorer with matching damage parked in the driveway of Hayes’ Hanover residence. Surveillance video also captured Hayes driving the vehicle prior to the collision.
A police report detailed that Hayes had attended a party with friends on Sunday evening before the group transitioned to a gentleman’s club in Brockton. They departed the establishment after midnight on Monday morning with Hayes driving. A witness described Hayes’ driving behavior as generally aggressive during the minutes leading up to the collision that cracked the windshield.
According to the report, Hayes disregarded the direct pleas of his passengers to halt the vehicle and check what had been struck. Following the witness interviews and the discovery of the damaged vehicle, police took Hayes into custody on February 16.
Following an initial arraignment in Hanover District Court, bail for Hayes was established at $15,000, and he was ordered to refrain from operating any motor vehicles upon his release.
Comments