New Hampshire man charged in violent road rage assault

BOSTON, April 11, 2025 – A New Hampshire man was arraigned Thursday in Roxbury BMC for assaulting another man during a road rage incident in February, in which the victim suffered severe injuries including several broken bones in his face and a concussion, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

AARON OLSEN, 36, of Manchester was charged with assault and battery causing serious bodily injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (pavement), and disorderly conduct.

Judge David Breen ordered Olsen held on $200 bail. Olsen is due back in court on June 26 for a pre-trial hearing.

At about 2:14 p.m. on February 5, Boston police responded to the intersection of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Hampden Street and observed the victim, 49, being treated by EMS. Officers observed the victim to have blood on the back of his head and a large contusion to his left eye and left side of his face. The victim told police he believed he was concussed due to not remembering where he was coming from.

The victim was transported to a local hospital for further treatment. The victim sustained a concussion and six broken bones in his face, including two broken orbital bones and a fractured cheek bone.

A witness on scene provided police with dashcam footage of the incident which shows an unknown male, later identified as Olsen, exit a white SUV bearing a New Hampshire license plate and the victim exit a darker color SUV. Olsen is seen striking the victim with his fist and then pulling the back of the victim’s sweatshirt over the victim’s head. Using the back of the sweatshirt to control the victim, Olsen uses a leg sweep motion to toss the victim to the ground. While holding the victim down to the pavement, Olsen strikes the victim six times. The victim’s head is seen striking the pavement multiple times. The victim is observed lying motionless on the ground in the middle of Melnea Cass Boulevard.

A Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) query of the New Hampshire license plate showed Olsen to be the registered owner of a White Chevy Terrain.

Investigators contacted Olsen, who reported the victim got out of his car first and hit him first. Olsen reported hitting the victim in self-defense.

But video footage showed the victim did not get out of his vehicle first and never hit Olsen. Olsen is observed leaving the scene prior to anyone approaching the victim lying on the street. Olsen is also observed swerving around vehicles and running a red light before merging onto the highway heading north.

Call records show that Olsen called State Police at 3:12 p.m. inquiring about any reported road rage incidents.

After examining the evidence investigators obtained a warrant for Olsen’s arrest.

“This was a vicious, broad-daylight attack in the middle of a busy intersection that shocked other motorists and left the victim with terrible injuries. I thank the witness who came forward with the video, and the investigators who used that and other evidence to assemble a solid case. This is yet another road rage incident resulting in someone injured and someone else facing serious criminal charges,” Hayden said. 

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications