Those who aspire to be an alleged hit-and-run driver in Westminster may want to avoid newly-elected Westminster Councilman Tony Chiavacci’s house on Willis Street — just a couple houses down from Westminster City Hall and the Westminster police station.

On Sunday, May 31, the calm of the historic tree-lined street was shattered by the sounds of a roaring engine, squealing wheels and a car crash.

According to witnesses, when it was all over, even the squirrels, birds and bunnies stopped in their tracks, and the only frantic critter on the street was a hit-and-run driver flailing about on the grass and a councilmember sitting his back.

An eastbound driver on Willis Street had apparently rounded the corner from the direction of Westminster City Hall toward Center Street when he hit several parked automobiles.

Soon after, the auto stopped in the street and the driver attempted to flee. As a crowd of citizens gathered, the alleged offender was reported to have been heard screaming, “Get off of me!”
It was a request that Chiavacci, son of a retired Maryland State Police officer, did not oblige.

Later that evening in a phone interview Chiavacci, a former Army military police officer, recalled the events.

“Today is my birthday and my kids made me a birthday breakfast,” said the father of five. “I was sitting in the living room reading the Sunday paper, when all the sudden I heard a car engine roaring, tires squealing — and then a loud crash.

“I was worried that someone may have gotten hurt, so I hustled out of the house and down the driveway to see a damaged mini-van sitting in the middle of the street.

“Then this guy gets out and starts beating the feet on down the street towards Center Street.” Chiavacci said he noticed the vehicle did not have tags, and “I asked the guy to stop and get back to his car.”

He said the driver then told him, “I’ve gotta get to work man.”

Chiavacci said he realized that “something wasn’t adding-up, so I asked him again to ‘stop right there.’ ”

“I caught up to him and asked him again to stop.” At that the gentleman pushed back, Chiavacci said. “He just pushed me and said something like ‘leave me alone.’ ”

Chiavacci said he “was nice enough to ask him to stop one more time,” but the offender continued to try and take off. “So, I just leveled him in the yard,” at the northeast corner of North and Willow streets.

“My MP training just took over.  I was worried for all the kids that were out … and my elderly neighbors … and fortunately I knew how to stop him without hurting him.”

“He kept fighting me, but I had the better of him and I just waited for the police to come…”

Westminster city police arrived and took control of the situation The accident is under investigation.

All in a day’s work.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com

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