Driver faces $1 million bond after ramming patrol car, injuring two officers in Fraser

Gaspare Cracchiolo, 61, is currently held at the Macomb County Jail awaiting a $1 million cash or surety bond. The Clinton Township resident faces multiple felony charges after allegedly ramming a patrol vehicle and reversing away from a traffic stop in Fraser last week.

The incident began on Oct. 26 when Fraser public safety officers located a vehicle connected to a reported hit-and-run and fleeing incident. The car was parked behind a business on Kelly Road near Groesbeck Highway. As officers moved to initiate a stop, the driver allegedly accelerated and struck the driver’s-side door of the patrol car. Both officers sustained minor injuries from the impact.

Following the collision, the suspect vehicle reversed and sped out of the parking lot. Other Fraser officers pursued the car for several miles. The chase concluded near the intersection of Groesbeck and 11 Mile Road, where the suspect vehicle overturned into a retention pond. Officers took the driver into custody at the scene.

On Oct. 28, Judge Joseph F. Boedeker of the 39th District Court in Roseville arraigned Cracchiolo. The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges including two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder. Each of those counts carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years. He also faces two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, a four-year felony, and third-degree fleeing, a five-year felony.

Additional counts include malicious destruction of property, operating while intoxicated, and operating with a suspended or revoked license. Prosecutors designated Cracchiolo as a habitual offender. Online court records indicate he has requested a court-appointed attorney for his defense.

If Cracchiolo posts the $1 million bond and is released, he must wear a GPS tether. Court orders also prohibit him from consuming drugs or alcohol and require him to submit to random drug testing. He is scheduled to return before Judge Boedeker for a probable cause conference on Nov. 13. A preliminary exam is set for Nov. 25.

Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido addressed the charges in a prepared statement. “Public safety is our top priority,” Lucido said. “We must protect those who put their lives on the line to protect us and ensure that anyone who threatens the safety of our community is held accountable.”