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January 23. 2013 10:56PM

Woman accused of trying to hit officer strikes plea deal

By JAMES A. KIMBLE
Union Leader Correspondent

TOFSKY

BRENTWOOD - A Massachusetts woman facing felony charges for allegedly fleeing from Salem police and nearly hitting an officer with her car in July has struck a plea deal in superior court.

Sabrina Tofsky, 30, of Stoneham, Mass., is expected to appear in court on March 6 for a plea and sentencing hearing instead of going to trial, according to court records. She is facing two counts of felony reckless conduct and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest for nearly striking police Officer Justin Bagley on the night of July 20.

Terms of the plea deal have not been made public, but the two counts of reckless conduct carry up to a 3½- to 7-year state prison sentence.

Salem police Officer Steve McPherson was on patrol at 10:31 p.m. on July 20 when he saw two vehicles in the parking lot of Movie Scene and Devanti's Pizza, police said.

Both businesses were closed at the time. McPherson pulled in and spoke to one of the drivers, confirming he was an employee of the pizza shop. When he pulled up to the second vehicle, the driver - later identified as Tofsky - took off toward the plaza exit but on the wrong side of a traffic island, police said. McPherson caught up to the vehicle and told Tofsky to pull over.

Tofsky allegedly responded, "No! Leave me the (expletive) alone," according to police.

Police said Tofsky then accelerated her car, spinning her tires and driving southbound on Route 28.

McPherson followed her down Route 28 where Officer Justin Bagley was out of his cruiser, signaling Tofsky to pull over. Tofsky allegedly turned her car towards Bageley, who was on foot, and drove through the intersection, narrowly missing the officer, according to indictments. Bageley had to leap out of the way to avoid being struck, indictments said.

Tofsky was forced to pull over on Route 28 near Bemister's Pools. She had to be physically removed from the car, police said. Police said Tofsky may have been upset from a domestic incident that happened before police arrived.
jkimble@newstote.com