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Suspect accused of hit-and-run crash that injured firefighter arrested at motel

BARNSTABLE, Mass. — A man was arrested Monday for allegedly crashing his car into an on-duty Onset firefighter  Friday night and fleeing the scene.

The crash happened around 7 p.m., during the height of the nor'easter, on Cranberry Highway near Onset Avenue.

“At the time, we were worried he was not going to survive,” Onset Fire Chief Raymond Goodwin said.

Firefighter Marc Granato was wearing his reflective gear and helmet at a traffic incident when he was hit.

“All of a sudden a car comes flying down the left lane and just went through the tape and cones. Next thing i know, i seen the firefighter get hit and tossed into the air,"a witness said.

>>PREVIOUS: Suspect wanted after hit-and-run of firefighter in Onset

The driver fled the scene in a gray Subaru Forester, but investigators say they were able to track him down later thanks to the Text-a-Tip program.

"Wareham Police Department does have a Text-a-Tip line, they received a Text-a-Tip saying that a person who struck the firefighter, is staying at a motel in Centerville," the prosecutor said.

When police responded to the Knights Inn, they found a vehicle with damage matching the description of the car that hit Granato and arrested 28-year-old Paul J. Durgin of Sandwich.

Durgin has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident and assault & battery. The judge set his bail at $125,000.

Granato was transported to a Rhode Island Hospital and is being treated for multiple serious injuries. Doctors say he is making significant progress after undergoing surgery.

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