Boston man hit in face by ATV rider, describes the terrifying incident

An 82-year-old man was attacked by several dirt bike and all-terrain vehicle riders in his driveway Wednesday in Boston, police said.

Dana Ratliff was struck in the face by an ATV, and scraped and bruised but is expected to be OK, the Boston Herald reported.

One of the riders began yelling at Ratliff when he pulled his truck into his driveway, so Ratliff rolled down the window to yell back at them. Ratliff pointed his van’s license plate at the ATV rider and the two began exchanging words, police said.

The riders then took off on dirt bikes, damaging the vehicle Ratliff was attempting to pull into his driveway, police said.

The rider who hit Ratliff went after him, so Ratliff hit him, police said. An off-duty police officer helped Ratliff get up and head to the police station, where he was treated and released, The Boston Globe reported.

“I’m sorry I’m not … know who you are,” Ratliff told the officer while entering the station, the Globe reported. “But I hit one of them guys. He was riding around. He beat me up. He did.”

Tobe Thorpe, a spokesman for the Massachusetts State Police said, “After receiving a report of an ATV vehicle having struck and injured an individual and fled the scene at Appton Point Park and was located at Marginal Road and Oakland Street in Roxbury, the victim was initially treated for minor injuries at the scene and later transported to the hospital.”

“It is unknown at this time why the ATV was involved in this incident. Any reports of multiple ATV or dirt bike collisions are being investigated and is being handled by State Police,” Thorpe said in a statement.

Massachusetts State Police, North Shore Police and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office are investigating.

A neighbor of Ratliff told The Herald that the incident is the “highest level of crime” a man could get attacked by his own neighbors.

“He’s the nicest guy ever. That’s why this is so unbelievable. My heart hurts for him,” the neighbor said.

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