Friends of Henry Tapia are mourning the loss of a man they describe as “nothing short of amazing.”
Tapia, 34, was struck by a car and died a short time after an alleged road rage incident on Upland Road in Belmont on Wednesday. The other man involved, 54-year-old Dean Kapsalis, of Hudson, allegedly shouted a racial slur at Tapia, who is Black, moments before allegedly striking him with the Dodge Dakota he was driving.
Kapsalis allegedly fled the scene as Tapia lay in the street with life-threatening injuries. Tapia was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he later died.
Kapsalis, meanwhile, is being charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (the vehicle), a civil rights violation causing injury, and leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. Upgraded charges are possible as the investigation continues, she said Wednesday.
Suspect allegedly used racial slur on victim in fatal road rage incident boston.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from boston.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Fatal road rage incident under investigation in Belmont Share Updated: 4:50 PM EST Jan 20, 2021
Fatal road rage incident under investigation in Belmont Share Updated: 4:50 PM EST Jan 20, 2021
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Show Transcript SUPPOSEDLY USED A RACIAL SLUR. FAMILY MEMBERS GATHERED TODAY TO SEE THE AREA WHERE THEIR LOVED ONE WAS LOST. WE HEARD THE TIRES SQUEALING, THE ENGINE ROARING. SERA: POLICE A MAN WAS INTENTIONALLY RUN OVER BY A PICKUP TRUCK AND THEN THE DRIVER TOOK OFF. THE VICTIM LATER DIED AT THE HOSPITAL. I HEARD THE COMMOTION, HEARD MY DAUGHTER SCREAM. I SAW THE GENTLEMAN ON THE GROUND AND MY DAUGHTER TRYING TO HELP. SERA: THE 54-YEAR-OLD WAS BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE PICKUP TRUCK, HE AND THE VICTIM WERE OUT OF THEIR VEHICLES HAVING A VERBAL FIGHT. HE ALLEGEDLY USED A RACIAL SLUR BEFORE RUNNING THE VICTIM OVER. HE DROVE OVER THE CIVILIAN AND LEFT THE SCENE. SERA: HE TURNED HIMSELF INTO POLICE ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER. TO FAMILIES NOW ARE
Authorities: Apparent road rage encounter turns deadly lmtonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lmtonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
January 20, 2021
A 35-year-old Boston man is dead after he was allegedly struck by a vehicle following a road rage incident on Upland Road in Belmont on Tuesday.
Now, the driver of that other vehicle, Dean Kapsalis, 54, of Hudson, has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and more charges are possible, according to the Middlesex District Attorney.
Belmont police responded to a 911 call at 4:22 p.m. for a man who had been hit by a car. When they arrived, they found the victim lying in the road next to the driver’s side of his Honda Civic with life-threatening injuries. Police determined that he had appeared to have been hit by a car, and he was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died, authorities said. He has not been publicly identified as authorities work to notify his family.