WATCH: Boston Man Confesses to Killing Pedestrian and Fleeing Scene During TV Interview, Gets Arrested
On Wednesday night, Boston TV station WXFT got more than they bargained for while reporting on a fatal hit-and-run in the city.
Reporter Drew Karedes was interviewing the suspect, Phocian Fitts, following his release after being questioned by police. During that interview, Fitts not only confessed to hitting and killing the elderly pedestrian, but to fleeing the scene. He was not too apologetic.
“What happened is what happened, man,” said Fitts. “It wasn’t intentional, accidents happen, that’s all it was.”
Police originally took Fitts into custody and then released him on the grounds that they did not have enough evidence to hold him. Shortly after the news broadcast at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, police arrested the suspect based on the additional information from his on-air confession. He was back in jail before WXFT’s next broadcast at 11 p.m.
That additional information included a detailed description of the sequence of events.
“I was scared and worried, because I don’t know what could happen, you see what I’m saying? So that’s why I left. I said, ‘God forbid, I hope, you know, he’s okay.”
As Karedes says in the clip, the man was not okay. He was lying in the crosswalk and pronounced dead at the hospital.
“I was listening to my music and as I was driving I was driving too quick. I was driving too quick to a point where it’s like, I couldn’t really stop, but it was a green light,” Fitts continued. “So the guy was walking, the light is green, I’m driving and I’m pressing the horn, pressing the horn. It was either I was going to die and crash into a pole? So, when it came down to it…”
In the clip from Wednesday night, Karedes was not yet sure whether the information in the report led to the arrest, but it was confirmed to be the case today.
Sources: statements made by driver in fatal hit & run in exclusive #Boston25 report led to arrest minutes later. Police initially led Phocian Fitts go today after police questioning pic.twitter.com/626Topmnf7
— Drew Karedes (@DrewKaredes) June 7, 2018
In addition to the news report, another driver’s dash cam caught footage of the incident that police were able to use to identify Fitts as the driver of the vehicle.
On Thursday, Fitts was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury or death, and motor vehicle manslaughter. Bail has been set at $10,000 dollars.
Judge orders Fitts held on 10k cash bail and GPS monitoring if he makes it. Prosecutor had asked for 15k. #boston25
— Ted Daniel (@tvnewzted) June 7, 2018
[Featured image via screengrab]
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