A Massachusetts driver slammed his car into an Asian man — and allegedly drove about 200 yards with him on the hood — in what the victim’s family says was a racially motivated attack.
Driver John Sullivan, 77, flew into a rage and shouted “go back to China” after the victim confronted him for driving too fast with children nearby, WVCB reported.
The victim was standing outside of the post office in Quincy with his sister and her three children shortly before 11 a.m. Friday morning when they spotted Sullivan barreling down the street, according to WCVB.
Sullivan unlashed a racial tirade after the victim made a comment about his dangerous driving.
“He said: ‘Go back to China. I’m going to go into the post office and come back out in five minutes. If you’re still here, I’m going to kill all of you,’” said the victim’s sister, Desiree Thien.
Thien and her brother remained in front of Sullivan’s vehicle and collected his information before he came out and got in his car.
“He rammed into my brother. My brother rolled onto the hood and he clung onto the hood. He went for about a good 200 yards, then he brakes so my brother fell off,” Thien said. “When (my brother) was trying to balance, he hit my brother again, continuing his racial slurs.”
Quincy police said Thien’s brother was tossed into a 10 to 15-foot ditch at a construction site. Sullivan fled the scene.
A witness followed Sullivan and provided police with updates on his location, which was then relayed to the police department in neighboring Braintree, where he was arrested.
“He needs to know not everyone can be picked on and not everyone will be silenced by intimidation,” Thien said.
Sullivan is charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of a crash with personal injury and a civil rights violation, according to WCVB.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment on Friday in Quincy District Court, according to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office.
He is being held without bail until a dangerousness hearing that is scheduled for Wednesday.
