Art therapist Olivia Zerwas suffered a traumatic brain injury, broke bones in her back and legs, and was badly burned when a driver slammed into her while trying to escape police, her family said.
Zerwas’ father said his 23-year-old daughter was getting coffee in Cambridge Monday afternoon when the car jumped a curb, hit her, and got lodged into a bio-medical building.
“There was an individual that had been actually pinned to the front of the vehicle,” said Prosecutor Andrew Dubsky.
Dubsky said David Powell, 57, of Roslindale, stole the car in Boston when the owner started it and left it running. Police in Cambridge said they spotted it and tried to stop the driver, but he took off from the area.
“The motor vehicle was going so fast, it would hit a speed bump and quite literally go flying. All of the wheels would lift as it would go over the speed bumps,” said Dubsky.
Authorities said Powell has scrapes on his face from the crash. Witnesses told police they helped him out of the car and took off.
Police eventually found him blocks away, sitting on a sidewalk and leaning against a building.
“Been having a tough time, your honor. He recently lost his longtime girlfriend and his sister — two important relationships to him. They passed away recently. Its been a difficult period for him recently,” said Robery Christian, Powell’s Defense Attorney.
Zerwas is a recent graduate of Emmanuel College, and works at Hebrew Senior Life in Roslindale.
Powell is facing several charges including Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Personal Injury, Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Receiving a Stolen Motor Vehicle.
Cambridge Police, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police are investigating.
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