BOSTON — A 53-year-old Dorchester man was arrested on firearm and drug charges Wednesday night after his vehicle crashed into a local nursery on Washington Street.
Boston Police Department Officers from District B-3 in Mattapan responded to the scene around 8:36 p.m. after witnessing the accident at Ashmont Nursery, next to 764 Washington Street.
They found significant damage to the business and the vehicle, with water from a dislodged pipe flooding the interior.
The driver, identified as Ronnie Qualls, was still in the car when officers arrived and requested emergency medical services.
Witnesses and individuals inside the nursery at the time of the crash were not injured.
Qualls displayed incoherent and evasive behavior when officers tried to assist him, leading them to suspect he might be carrying a weapon.
During their investigation, officers discovered a loaded Republic Arms Patriot .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol in the vehicle’s center console.
Before being transported to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, Qualls was found with four bags of suspected crack cocaine and cocaine in his jacket.
A records check revealed he did not have a valid driver’s license.
Qualls is facing charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of loaded firearm, and possession of Class A and B drugs.
He will be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.
