HOPKINTON, MA – A road rage incident in Massachusetts resulted in the death of a woman and the arrest of a man last week, according to local law enforcement.
Ryan Sweatt was involved in a heated altercation with another vehicle on Route 85 in Hopkinton on Thursday evening. During the dispute, a woman exited the other vehicle and was hit by Sweatt, as reported by the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office in a press release on Friday.
The victim, identified as 26-year-old Destini Decoff, succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, as confirmed by her mother, Tracy Decoff, on social media.
During the Thursday incident, several passengers from Decoff’s vehicle exited the car. Sweatt, in response, made a U-turn in his Honda Civic and struck Decoff at a high speed. Sweatt claimed to the police that Decoff and four men surrounded his car, with one of them wielding a knife, and threatened his life.
Sweatt, a 36-year-old resident of Milford, faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, operating to endanger, and a marked lanes violation. The District Attorney’s Office has yet to comment on whether additional charges will be filed following Decoff’s death.
A witness stated that Sweatt deliberately made a U-turn and hit Decoff with his vehicle. Surveillance footage from the scene corroborated the witness’s account. The impact of the collision caused Decoff’s clothes to be thrown off her body.
A police officer witnessed Sweatt fleeing the scene after the incident. When apprehended, his windshield was damaged, and he was reportedly shouting about being under attack. Sweatt claimed that Decoff initiated the conflict by abruptly stopping in front of him while he was driving home from work. He added that Decoff and four men then exited their vehicle and threatened him.
Decoff’s mother confirmed on social media that her daughter had been in the car with friends when a vehicle began tailgating them. The car pulled over, and when they got out, the other vehicle attempted to run them over.
Decoff sustained severe injuries, including two collapsed lungs, a brain hemorrhage, multiple broken bones, and significant facial disfigurement.
Sweatt pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a court appearance on April 10.