John P. Carroll/CWN
YARMOUTH – On Saturday at approximately 9:44 AM, Yarmouth Police and Yarmouth Fire were dispatched to a motor vehicle crash on Higgins Crowell Road. The crash occurred north of Abells Road in the area of the Professional Building Complex. 911 callers reported that a child had been struck while riding on a scooter. Witnesses reported that the vehicle did not stop after the crash and continued Southbound on Higgins Crowell in the direction of Route 28.
Officers arrived on the scene and assisted two bystanders who were rendering first aid. The victim, an eight-year-old male, was treated for serious injuries by members of the Yarmouth Fire Department. The victim was transported to Cape Cod Hospital, then flown to Boston via MedFlight. The victim was with two siblings and his grandmother at the time of the accident.
Witnesses described the suspect vehicle as a grey SUV, possibly a Mercedes Benz. The vehicle has damage to the passenger side front end. The vehicle is possibly missing a portion of the front light lens cover.
The crash is under investigation by the Yarmouth Police Department, Cape Cod Regional Law Enforcement Crash Reconstruction Team, and the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
The Yarmouth Police Department requests anyone with information about the crash to call 508-775-0445 x 0.
Update 8/29/22: On Saturday, August 27, 2022, Yarmouth Police Detectives arrested the suspect responsible for the hit and run crash on Saturday August 20, 2022.
The suspect is identified as Jakob Gifford, 18, from Marstons Mills Massachusetts.
Gifford was charged with the following.
• Leaving the scene of an accident after causing personal injury
• Negligent operation of a motor vehicle
• Withholding evidence from a criminal proceeding
Gifford will appear in court today, Monday August 29, 2022, for arraignment.
The 8-year-old victim was released from the hospital and is home with family recovering from the injuries sustained after being hit by Gifford. The victim will require additional medical procedures in the future.
The Yarmouth Police would like to thank the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department and The Cape Cod Regional Law Enforcement Crash Reconstruction Unit for their assistance with the investigation.
Lower photos by David Curran/Satellite News Service/CWN (used with permission).
