Father Was On Drugs When 4-Year-Old Fell Out Of Car: Police

WEYMOUTH, MA — A Weymouth man was on drugs and left the scene when his 4-year-old fell out of the window of his truck on Route 3, prosecutors alleged in court.

Florian Roshi, 34, appeared in Quincy District Court Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to drugged driving, child neglect, marked lanes violation, and various other motor vehicle infractions. He was ordered held on $5,000 cash bail but will only have to pay $2,500 because he posted $2,500 to be released from State Police custody prior to his arraignment.

If he posts his new bail, Roshi must refrain from driving, take random alcohol/drug testing, have no unsupervised contact with any children, and comply with all orders from the Department of Children and Families.

Roshi was arrested Saturday night after police responded to a report of a person lying in the breakdown lane of Route 3 North near exit 16. Officers arrived the scene after 9:30 p.m. found a person assisting a 4-year-old child, with no parent in sight, according to a police report read in court by Assistant District Attorney Kate Nedelman Herbst. The child’s parent, identified as Roshi, appeared a short time later with his 8-year-old son. Police say the Weymouth man was emotionless when he arrived.

"As I looked up at the party while providing first aid, (Roshi) had an emotional neutral look on his face. He was not hysterical. He also appeared to have a glazed look over his eyes," Trooper Stephen Taylor wrote in his police report.

A white Ford truck which Roshi admitted he owned and was driving was found a quarter-mile away from the scene, police said. The damage on the passenger side was consistent with a crash into a guardrail. Roshi told police that his child asked to use the phone he was on, and then he heard a window roll down. The child was gone when he looked back. Roshi allegedly said later that he swerved and heard something break. He had no reason why it took him so long to return to the scene.

Roshi was taken into custody after failing multiple field sobriety tests, including a walking test where State Police say they were worried he was going to fall into traffic on the highway.

Police recovered several items from the truck, including a bag with a powdery residue, a black bag with a Chore Boy, a cigarette pack with a marijuana cigarette, and two bottles marked for Clonidine and Gabapentin.

The injured child was taken to Children’s Hospital in Boston with serious injuries. Nedelman Herbst said he suffered serious road rash is scheduled to undergo more testing including an MRI.

Defense attorney Jessica Foley said Roshi did not leave the scene was seen by police a short time later. She attributed his emotionless state to shock and said the boy did not suffer any broken bones or a concession.

The DCF has been notified and are conducting an investigation into the custody of Roshi’s three kids.

Roshi is due back in court March 7.

Image Credit: Dan Libon