Police drone finds man who ran away after serious crash in Hingham

Police were able to find a man who allegedly ran away after he was involved in a serious crash in Hingham, Massachusetts, early Saturday -- thanks to a drone.

The Hingham Police Department says officers responded to Lincoln Street around 4:23 a.m. for the single-vehicle crash, which they described as severe.

There was a badly damaged Chevrolet Suburban on scene, but no driver. According to police, a witness told officers that the driver ran away when he said he was going to call 911.

Investigators determined the SUV was speeding as it traveled south on Lincoln Street near Route 169 when it drove off the road and struck a large tree. The impact was severe and it caused the vehicle to spin 180 degrees and stop near a utility pole on the opposite side of the road. It also caused a tire and a portion of the axel to fully detach and land further in the road, police said.

Blood was found on the driver's side airbag, and a police drone was launched in an attempt to find the driver.

As police K9s from Hingham and state police began to search, the drone found someone lying face down in the wood line near Bremer Circle.

When officers reached the man, they realized he was unconscious. According to police, officers were able to wake him up after a short time, and noticed his eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and he smelled of alcohol.

The man matched the description that the witness provided police, and his name was on some items in the SUV. He was taken by ambulance to South Shore Hospital.

Police are not releasing the man's name, as he wasn't arrested, but say the 23-year-old from Quincy was issued several citations.

According to police, the man is being summonsed to court at a later date on several charges including operating under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of a property damage crash, negligent operation, marked lanes violation and speeding.