Police: Man claimed affair as alibi in Lawrence crash

BOSTON -- The husband of a Newburyport city councilor appeared in court on Wednesday to face charges in connection with a hit-and-run crash in Lawrence.

Nearly two weeks after the accident, police charged Richard Heartquist with the crime that left Michael Baglieri with serious injuries.

“I’m lucky to be alive. You know, that guy should have never taken off,” said Baglieri.

Heartquist is married to Newburyport City Councilor Alison Heartquist, who told police that on the night of the accident, her husband had the car.

Investigators said the Chevy Avalanche slammed into Baglieri’s car and claimed that Heartquist ran from the scene, leaving the car still running.

“As I was getting closer, he kept inching out, and I went into the other lane to try and avoid him, and he must have just gunned the gas,” said Baglieri.

Alison Heartquist told policy that her husband took the car to attend a Christmas party, but Richard Heartquist claims he wasn’t behind the wheel. In police reports, Heartquist told officers he left a bar with a woman named Kathy for a random hookup in her car.

But, police issued an arrest warrant for Heartquist, who eventually turned himself in.

“Where we are today, at this point we had sufficient evidence to bring those charges forward, and put him behind the wheel,” said Chief John Romero of the Lawrence Police Department.

“For someone not to really care about the other person, I’m in pretty rough shape,” said Baglieri.

Police aren’t sure if Heartquist actually cheated on his wife, or used the story as an alibi that did not place him at the scene of the crime.

Officers also said there were no reports of the vehicle being stolen.

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