According to a recent news feature from ABC Boston, a defendant cried as she stood in the Boston Municipal Court (BMC) to face charges in connection with an alleged hit-and-run accident that resulted in injury to three pedestrians. The serious car accident occurred in Boston’s Downtown Crossing neighborhood.
This serious Boston car accident resulted in serious injuries to a 63-year-old woman from Spain, a 45-year-old woman from Milford, Massachusetts, and her 9-year-old son. They were either hit by or trapped under the car. Following the accident, witnesses allege that the driver took her cell phone from the car and ran into a nearby restaurant. While some of the bystanders tried to lift the car off on of the victims, others made sure the alleged at-fault driver could not get way. They essentially trapped her in the restaurant until police arrived, so they could retrieve her.
On the day of the accident, there were no charges filed, and police had not indicated what they planned to do. However, the following day, after speaking with prosecutors and reviewing the case, they decided to charge her with hit-and-run, driving without a license, use without authority of a motor vehicle, and other related charges, including leaving the scene of a Boston car accident with personal injury.
For those who are not familiar with the charge of use (of a motor vehicle) without authority, it is sometimes called joy riding and basically means driving in a car without permission. It is often charged instead of auto theft, because it is often very difficult to prove whether someone actually stole the car or got it from the person who stole it, so they can get around this by proving that the person arrested did not have permission to drive the car. Receipt of stolen goods is another way around the need to prove who actually stole the car.
In this case, her attorney argued that the car was a loaner car that was loaned to defendant’s husband by the garage that is fixing his car. He argued the reason she ran the red light was because she was not familiar with the loaner car.
Prosecutors said one of the victims in the accident had the imprint of the tires on her abdomen following the accident, and the child had a contusion on his lungs and a cut on his liver. The other victim is said to have a broken back as result of this serious car accident.
It is important to understand that the woman driving the car has not been convicted of a crime as of this time in connection with this car accident and is presumed innocent unless and until she is found guilty in a court of law by a judge or jury.
If you are injured in an accident in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
Driver accused in crash not familiar with ‘loaner car,’ attorney says, August 19, 2016, ABC Boston, By News Desk
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Report: Fall River Teen Killed in Car Crash on Way to Prom, June 26, 2016, Boston Car Accident Injury Lawyer Blog