A 28-year-old man who allegedly sideswiped a Tisbury Police cruiser on the Lagoon Pond Bridge in February with a small dump truck and sent a police officer to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital with minor injuries, was arraigned in Edgartown District Court Thursday on charges related to the crash.
Reniclis Albino pleaded not guilty before Judge Benjamin Barnes on charges of unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a marked lanes violation, and an expired inspection sticker.
Prosecutor Michael Preble told the court he was disinclined to dismiss the charges, citing the injury of a police officer.
Judge Barnes informed Albino the charges he currently faced didn’t require him to have a court appointed attorney.
“However based on the summary of the facts there may be additional criminal charges coming,” Barnes said. If additional charges were filed, Barnes said the court would appoint an attorney. Albino’s next court date was set for Aug. 12.
As The Times previously reported, the collision took place on Feb. 19 and sent Tisbury Police Officer Patrick Souza to the hospital. A report by Massachusetts State Trooper Robert Branca stated that Souza suffered “minor injuries to his face and neck.” Branca’s report states State Police Det. Dustin Shaw interviewed Souza and the hospital and Souza reported seeing a small dump truck fishtailing out of control and crossing into his lane. Oak Bluffs Police Sgt. Nicholas Curelli told Det. Shaw that he witnessed a small dump truck pass him in the opposite direction “in an erratic manner” on a snowy road, the report states. Albino allegedly told Branca he lost control and struck the cruiser.
On Thursday, Tisbury Police Sgt. Max Sherman told The Times the accident totaled the cruiser. He said Souza is doing well and was “just over a month away from finishing the full-time police academy.”
