LYNN — Lynn mother Maria C. Donator says she chased an alleged hit-and-run driver across the city early Tuesday morning after he apparently hit her son’s car outside their Adams Street home and took off. Her dogged pursuit led to the arrest of the 23-year-old driver who police have charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
“When it comes to your kids, you don’t think about things like this,” Donator said. “You don’t think ‘should I follow him or not?’ I will do anything for my kid. I wasn’t trying to be a hero, but you know what? I was doing it for my son.”
What was going through her mind, Donator said, was that her son, Danny, could have been in the car, and been badly injured at the time of the crash, which was caught on her home surveillance footage. Danny would typically be sitting in his car after midnight because it’s the time he usually returns home.
Jayron Chilel-Dionicio, of Lynn, was also charged with leaving the scene of property damage and possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. He was expected to be arraigned in Lynn District Court Wednesday.
Shortly after midnight, Donator said she and her son heard a loud bang outside their home. Danny, 21, said he was getting ready to sleep and as he was lying down, he heard what sounded like a loud crash of thunder. He thought a car might have hit a house nearby, but then he heard his mother yelling outside for him to call 911 because his car had been struck.
Maria, 42, said she screamed when she got outside and saw the damage. Danny’s car was parked on the street outside the house — a man, identified by police as Chilel-Dionicio, had allegedly hit her son’s 2006 Toyota Corolla and drove off, she said. Danny said he looked outside and saw the whole back of his car was “smushed,” or almost flattened.
After telling Danny to call 911, Maria said she wasn’t even thinking — she just wanted to get to the guy who took off. She got inside her car, went up Adams Street and then Rockaway Street. When she got close to the driver’s truck, she said she saw his bumper had fallen off and that there was other damage.
At that point, she was on the phone with police updating them on the driver’s location throughout the city. She said police told her to keep following the suspect, but warned her against getting out of her car to confront the driver.
Donator said she was following the driver for about 10 minutes, tailing him after he turned onto Washington Street and then onto Boston Street, where police arrived and arrested the suspect, who was allegedly swerving.
“I was so stressed out when I got out of the vehicle,” Maria said. “I said, ‘this is my son. My son could have been in the vehicle.'”
If it was any other night, Danny would have likely been sitting in the car shortly after midnight, when the crash occurred. He usually works until about 9 p.m. and then goes to the studio for a couple of hours to record music, returning home around midnight.
Then, he typically parks in the same spot on the street and sits in his car for about 10 minutes to play back music that he recorded. But, thankfully, Maria said Monday was one of the nights her son happened to be home early.
“It could have been yesterday that he came behind me and rammed me,” Danny said. “I would have been in the hospital. It’s so relieving that I wasn’t in there. It could have been so bad.”
Danny stayed at home to remain on the phone with police dispatch while his mother took off after the driver. He said it was stressful — he was thinking the man could be dangerous, could have a weapon or come after her car.
“At the end of the day, just enjoy life,” Danny said. “Make sure that nothing really ever gets taken for granted because in moments like that, who knows what could have happened if I was in there? Just be careful, honestly.”
Lynn Police Lt. Michael Kmiec said police frequently get calls about erratic drivers. The only time they warn people against following those drivers is if there’s a dangerous situation, or public safety issue, he said.
“Obviously, in this case, it worked out for the best because officers were able to get the vehicle stopped and make the arrest,” Kmiec said.
