Maryland: Frederick police release suspect’s identity in hit-and-run case that injured officer
Frederick police on Wednesday identified a woman who they said was responsible for a hit-and-run that left one city officer injured early Tuesday. A warrant was issued early Wednesday for the arrest of Heather Marie Toms, 35, of no fixed address in Frederick, on charges of two counts of first-degree assault and several traffic offenses, according to a department press release.
City officers first responded to Rosemont Avenue at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday where a man told police that another driver followed him and intentionally hit the rear bumper of his vehicle three times, then struck his driver's side door as it drove away, police said. He provided a description of the person and their vehicle.
While officers looked for the other driver, they received a call for a suspicious person at East Fourth Street and Chapel Alley. Officers Frank Rucci and Eric Morton responded and discovered that the suspicious person, later determined to be Toms, appeared to be the same person involved in the earlier hit-and-run, according to police.
When officers spoke with Toms, who was sitting in her car, she unexpectedly put the vehicle in reverse and accelerated, the release said. Both officers tried to get out of the way, but were struck by the car.
Toms then drove away. Morton was unhurt, but the vehicle ran over Rucci’s leg, police said. Rucci was taken to Frederick Memorial Hospital where he was treated and later released for minor injuries later that morning.
In addition to assault, Toms will also be charged with malicious destruction of property, failing to remain at the scene of an accident involving injuries, fleeing and eluding, driving on a suspended and revoked license, reckless and negligent driving, driving without working lights, unsafe backing and failing to control her speed, according to the release and an online search of court records Wednesday.
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