Vernon Man Charged In Fatal Crash During Pursuit In Massachusetts

MONSON, MA — A Vernon man who has a history of brushes with the law locally has been charged in connection with a police pursuit in Massachusetts during which a pedestrian was killed, authorities said.

The incident took place last Thursday, records show.

According to Monson, MA, police records, Devin Crabb, 25, of Vernon, was charged with the negligent operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, driving an uninsured and unregistered vehicle, a lane violation, a pair of stop sign violations.

Authorities said Crabb was operating a dirt bike and was fleeing from police in Ware and Palmer and eventually into Monson. According to records, he was on State Avenue and Upper Palmer Road in Monson at about 7 p.m.

Police discovered that the dirt bike had struck a pedestrian near the the Monson Free Library on High Street and crashed. A pedestrian was hit, suffered serious injuries and later died at an area hospital, authorities said.

Vernon police said Crabb is no stranger to police encounters. He was convicted twice in 2017 and received one-year suspended sentenced both times for crimes in Vernon — first-degree criminal trespass and violating conditions of release in one case and for probation violation in another.

He received the same sentence in a case out of the state police Troop C barracks in 2019 for interfering with officers.