Driver Seriously Hurt After Brick Hits Car In Worcester, 4 Teens Charged
WORCESTER (CBS) - Four Worcester teenagers are facing serious charges stemming from a dangerous joyride in a stolen SUV over the weekend. Police said they cruised the city's east side for more than two hours, throwing bricks at passing cars.
Among the victims is Manny Oliveras who was driving with his fiancée Jessica Laine. Their Saturday afternoon grocery run ended with a brick ripping through the windshield.
"We heard the smash. I immediately looked at the windshield, so did he, we said 'what the hell just hit us,'" Laine said.
It took a few moments for Oliveras to realize that he'd suffered a nasty gash near his eye along with several broken facial bones.
"There's just so much blood. His face was like covered," Laine said. "So I immediately took off my hooded sweatshirt and I put it on it and I said 'press down real tight don't let it go.'"
By that time they'd pulled over on Plantation Street as Laine called 911 and a good Samaritan scrambled over to help. But it wasn't until paramedics arrived that the mystery was partially solved.
"Then they looked in the backseat and saw the brick, and they took it out and showed me, I was on the sidewalk and I said that wasn't our brick, that must have been what it was," Laine said.
The real shocker though was just starting to crackle over police radios.
Worcester Police say the four teens tossing bricks out of their red SUV hit at least 19 passing vehicles before officers spotted and stopped them, chasing down a 15 and 16-year-old when they jumped out and ran.
"I want to tell them I hope you learned your lesson and never hurt anyone like this again," Laine said.
The teens -- two boys and two girls -- now face several charges including assault with a dangerous weapon. Some of their victims say it all seemed to come out of nowhere.
"I thought we were the only ones on the road, I didn't see anyone else around," Laine said.
Manny Oliveras is still in the hospital with some serious facial surgery scheduled for Tuesday. Doctors apparently will be able to save his eye. A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for his medical bills.
