A bloody brawl broke out between the family of a young woman who was mowed down in a road accident and relatives of the man accused of killing her.
Destini Decoff, 26, died in the hospital on April 4, less than 72 hours after she was struck by Ryan Sweatt’s Honda Civic on Route 85 north of Milford, Massachusetts.
Sweatt, 36, told police he was threatened with a knife by the four men in Destini’s car, but police allege he turned around twice before running her over.
He faced Framingham District Court on Tuesday after being charged with murder during an arraignment attended by family members from both sides.
When the hearing was over, the two family groups faced off in the hallway outside and threw insults at each other before a fight broke out.
Destini Decoff, 26, was fatally injured when the car she was driving was involved in a traffic accident on Route 85 north of Milford, Massachusetts
Decoff’s aunt, Dawn Anderson, claimed Sweatt’s girlfriend attacked her first, leaving her with a cut on her neck that bled after the fight.
“She came over and tried to grab the top of my hair, but as you can see my hair is combed back so that didn’t work and I got her on the floor,” she said. Boston 25.
“Destini will get justice one way or another, but that family is sick, sick, sick, sick.”
It was unclear if anyone was charged in the brawl.
Sweatt’s attorneys maintained that he never intended to kill Decoff and hit her accidentally, but police argued that claim was inconsistent with the evidence.
‘This is not road rage as reported by the media. “This was an accident that occurred when Ryan tried to get away from the group of people who came out of their car to attack him,” Sweatt’s attorney said.
Ryan Sweatt, 36, faced Framingham District Court on Tuesday after being charged with murder during an arraignment attended by family of both parties
Decoff and Sweatt’s families threw insults at each other in the hallway after the hearing, which escalated into a bloody brawl before court officials pulled them apart
“He didn’t see the person who was hit. He stopped his car after the collision and cooperated with police.
‘There is much more to report in the news and as the facts come to light, I am confident it will become clear that this was just a tragic accident.
“Ryan is a peaceful individual who has always maintained a clean record and has had a long history of gainful employment. He was on his way home from work when the accident happened.”
Decoff’s mother, Tracy, was not convinced and insisted the young woman’s death was intentional and a homicide.
“If Massachusetts had the death penalty, I would want it,” she said.
She said she hopes Sweatt “burns in hell” after surveillance footage showed him turning around and driving into the group of friends instead of driving away.
“He turned around several times and was able to continue driving,” said witness Brett Martin.
Destini was taken to hospital with a brain haemorrhage, collapsed lungs and fractures to her shoulder, shin and ribs.
Her mother Tracy turned off her life support system three days after she was hit and vowed to win justice for her daughter
‘He could have continued. He chose to turn around, chose to come back. He knew what he was doing when he went down on that girl.
“I didn’t see her go up in the air. But I saw her come down and hit the sidewalk. From that moment on things didn’t go well anymore.’
‘I saw her in the air coming down towards the street, her coat must have been twenty feet away from her. No matter how she got hit, those clothes flew off.”
Sweatt told police he had left work and was driving home to Milford when the other car stopped in front of him and the driver hit the brakes.
A police officer caught up with Sweatt and noticed damage to his windshield after seeing him running away.
“They’re trying to kill me,” he told the officer, gesturing back to the people gathered around Destini who were lying in a pool of blood.
Destini was taken to hospital with a brain haemorrhage, collapsed lungs and fractures to her shoulder, shin and ribs.
She underwent emergency surgery to remove her spleen and part of her skull to relieve pressure on her swollen brain, but never regained consciousness.
Tracy turned off her daughter’s life support system three days after she was hit and vowed to win justice for her daughter.
“With every ounce of my being I hope mf burns straight in hell!” she wrote on Facebook.
‘Today my biggest fear as a mother became reality. My first born child and best friend is no longer with me.
“I don’t break promises and I promise you with all my strength that I will get justice for you no matter what it takes.
‘Spread those beautiful wings and fly without pain and suffering.’
Tracy Decoff thanked UMass Memorial Medical Center medics who tried to save her daughter’s life and gave her a printout of Destini’s last heartbeats
“My first born child and best friend is no longer with me,” Destini’s mother wrote, “I don’t break promises and I promise you that I will get justice for you with every ounce of my being.”
Tracy thanked the medics at UMass Memorial Medical Center who tried to save her daughter’s life and gave her a printout of Destini’s last heartbeats.
“I know working in the medical field requires you to hold your emotions inside,” she wrote.
“All the doctors, all the different types of trauma surgeons were great.
‘The anesthetist cried with me and said how sorry she was. These trauma ICU nurses are unmatched by any other! Hugging and crying with my other children and family.
‘I had a nurse who wasn’t even my daughter’s nurse tell me she was from Medway and how popular my daughter is there. “Medway loves her,” she said.
“After they called it in, I had this nurse help me take my daughter’s last handprints and put her heartbeat in a bottle.
“Many of them said that underneath all her injuries we can see that she is a beautiful girl.
‘I said absolutely beautiful. I will cherish this forever.”