Massachusetts man pleads not guilty in fatal car accident

It’s a picturesque town nearly 50 miles west of Boston. But late last year, Auburn was the site of a violent collision that resulted in severe injuries to a 45-year-old man out on an early-morning bread delivery route.

The 45-year-old later died of his injuries sustained in the November 11 car crash on Interstate 290.

The 26-year-old driver of a black Jeep was later arrested and charged with slamming his vehicle into the back of the Nissen bread truck. The collision sent the driver of the truck 80 to 100 feet out of his vehicle; when he hit the pavement, he sustained massive injuries.

That didn’t stop the driver of the Jeep, however. Witnesses said that after the Jeep knocked the bread truck into a guardrail, it kept going. The Auburn man was later arrested at his home after failing a field sobriety test.

Last month, he was indicted on charges of manslaughter by motor vehicle, motor vehicle homicide while driving negligently, motor vehicle homicide while driving recklessly and under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident resulting in death and driving to endanger.

He entered pleas of not guilty to the charges and was released on bail.

Statistics show that driving drunk is associated with age. The highest rate of drunk drivers is found among people ages 21 to 25: in a survey, 23 percent of the age group admitted to driving drunk.

In fatal crashes, the highest percentage of drunken drivers is among the 21 to 24 group: 34 percent, followed quickly by the group the driver in this case belongs to: those ages 25 to 34 (30 percent).

Nothing can bring back loved ones lost to drunk drivers, but a wrongful death claim can help families find a level of justice beyond what the criminal courts can deliver.

Source: Telegram.com, “Auburn man pleads not guilty in crash that killed bread truck driver,” April 30, 2013