New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
By Brendan Kurie
New Bedford Guide Contributor
Ward 3 City Councilor Hugh Dunn was the lone driver involved in a three-car accident on South Water Street early Saturday morning, according to the New Bedford Police Department.
Dunn struck two parked cars around 1:23 a.m. on May 1. The accident was reported by an anonymous 911 caller.
Four officers from the NBPD responded and they “did not deem a field sobriety test was necessary,” according to NBPD Director of Communications Melissa Batchilder, who noted officers make that determination using “discretion based on observations at the scene.”
While scanner traffic reported the accident as a hit and run, Dunn has not been charged with any crimes. It was unknown where he was coming from or where he was going, according to Batchilder. A cause of the accident was not available as of Monday afternoon.
According to scanner audio captured by the New Bedford Live Facebook page, dispatchers told responding officers: “It’s going to be two vehicles, one vehicle vs. parked car. (Unintelligble) male is now driving off toward the YMCA in a gray sedan.”
Dunn was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital via ambulance. The investigation is ongoing and an accident report is expected to be released on Tuesday.
“As a result of an accident overnight Saturday involving Councilor Hugh Dunn, the NBPD has launched a review of the matter to ensure the incident was handled properly,” said acting police chief Paul Oliveira said in a statement. “If anyone has any information on the incident, please contact the NBPD.”
Dunn was elected to the council in 2017 and was re-elected in 2019. He is the Director of Government Affairs and Economic Development at UMass Dartmouth and Executive Director for SouthCoast Development Partnership and previously served as a legislative aide to Congressman Bill Keating. He is a graduate of the UMass School of Law in Dartmouth.
