BROCKTON, MA – A Hanover police officer has been charged with motor vehicle homicide after allegedly striking and killing a pedestrian while driving under the influence following a night of drinking at a strip club.
Thomas Hayes, 36, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation and leaving the scene of personal injury or death. The 12-year veteran of the Hanover Police Department was off duty when the incident occurred Sunday night.
Alfredo Alves, 23, was found unresponsive early Monday morning near the intersection of Battles Street and Cross Street in Brockton. He was transported to Boston Medical Center South, where he was pronounced dead.
According to court documents, Hayes had spent Sunday evening drinking with two friends, first at a private residence in Avon while watching the Daytona 500 race, then at the Boardroom Cabaret strip club in Brockton. The group left the establishment around 9:30 p.m., with Hayes driving a 2022 Ford Explorer SUV.
Stephen Bruning, who was in the passenger seat, told investigators he felt the vehicle jolt and noticed windshield damage approximately six minutes after leaving the club. When Bruning asked Hayes to stop, the officer allegedly claimed they had hit a snowbank and continued driving home.
Bruning reported that Hayes was “taking sharp turns and was driving in a generally aggressive manner” during the trip. Upon arriving at Hayes’ residence, Bruning observed additional damage to the front of the vehicle and later contacted police with his wife and brother, who is a State Police trooper.
Hayes was arrested Monday morning at 7 a.m., with officers noting he smelled of alcohol at the time of arrest. Surveillance footage from both the strip club and Hayes’ residence corroborated witness accounts and showed damage to the SUV.
The defendant initially posted $10,000 bail but was held Tuesday after failing to meet a revised $15,000 bail requirement set during his arraignment. He is scheduled to appear in court again on March 31.
Hayes has been placed on administrative leave from the Hanover Police Department, where he became a full-time officer in 2014. His defense attorneys, James Milligan Jr. and Joseph Higgins III, have not responded to requests for comment.
Not just DUI, but DUI with hit-and-run. This is not mere manslaughter, but murder.