LOWELL, Mass. — A man who was struck by a carjacking suspect last week is being remembered as a beloved member of the Massachusetts boxing community after he died from his injuries on Monday night.
Officers responding to the area of Rogers Street in Lowell around 10:25 p.m. on Friday, May 2, found a pedestrian on a sidewalk suffering from life-threatening injuries, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
The victim, identified by the DA as Gregory Leschishin, was taken to a local hospital, where he later passed away.
USA Boxing New England said Leschishin was "a pillar, a teacher, a voice, and a heart" who “gave so much” to the sport of boxing, not only locally, but “far beyond.”
1 of 4
“The impact you’ve had on all of us is too strong, too deep, too real to believe you’re gone,” a post on Instagram read. “You will never be forgotten. Your legacy, passion, and spirit will live on in every ring, every gym, and every young boxer you helped shape. USA Boxing New England lost more than a coach — we lost a brother, a friend, a representative of everything that’s right in this sport."
Christopher Campbell, 30, of Billerica, was arraigned Monday in Lowell District Court on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, two counts of leaving the scene of personal injury, carjacking, larceny of a motor vehicle, negligent operation, and a marked lanes violation in connection with an alleged carjacking and a subsequent crash that ultimately claimed Leschishin’s life.
As of Tuesday morning, Campbell’s charges hadn’t been upgraded, according to a spokesperson for the DA’s office.
Investigators said that Campbell crashed his Volkswagen Jetta into another vehicle in the area of Boylston and Rogers Street. He then allegedly got out of his car and began jumping on the hood of the other vehicle.
The other driver, frightened by what was happening, ditched her car, ran away from the scene, and Campbell stole her vehicle, according to police.
Campbell drove up onto a sidewalk a few minutes later and crashed into Leschishin, investigators said.
About 30 minutes later, around 11 p.m., troopers found the stolen car abandoned in the left lane on Interstate 495 south in Franklin. State police said the vehicle had also been struck by another car.
State police and Franklin police set up a perimeter around the highway and found Campbell hunkered down in a culvert. He allegedly yelled at officers that he had a gun, prompting them to deploy a taser.
Campbell was then arrested without incident.
An investigation is ongoing.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
