Police investigating after man found face down on street

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (WHDH) -- A man was found seriously hurt, lying face down in the middle of a street in Framingham on Tuesday. He remains in critical condition at a Boston hospital.

Investigators are still trying to figure out if the man was a victim of a hit and run, or was assaulted elsewhere and dropped off at the location where he was found.

The victim is 21-year-old Nick Russo from Hopkinton. Russo’s aunt says the victim has had a tough life and was just getting back on his feet when the incident happened.

It was around 2:15 Tuesday afternoon when someone driving through the neighborhood came across Russo’s body. Neighbors came out and tried to help the victim who they say was unconscious, but had a pulse at the time.

People are still in shock.

“I honestly don’t believe it happened here. Just from listening to the gentleman that found him. There wasn’t anything -- glass -- or anything broken in the street. So, if somebody hit somebody…plus the people across the street were both home; they would have heard it,” a woman said.

“I think he was hit with force, because…also the location of the injury to his skull was at a position where either he was thrown. Either that, or it was some type of blunt force that was dealt,” one man said.

Police released a statement saying that they are unsure if Russo was a victim of a hit and run, was assaulted somewhere else, or assaulted in the community.

Russo’s aunt says that he didn’t show up to work at Ruby Tuesday’s in Framingham on Sunday, and is asking anyone who has information to please call police.

"People out there, if you've seen Nick over the weekend, if you saw who he was hanging out with or saw him at work or around the Framingham area, please contact the Framingham police," said Darlene Hayes, the victim's aunt.

Police say a tan car that was seen in the neighborhood with two people in it around the time Russo was discovered might be connected, but they still don't know how he ended up on the Framingham street.