Driver involved in crash that killed 22-month-old South Boston boy charged, prosecutors say
Charlene Casey, 64, of South Boston, was charged with motor vehicle homicide in connection to the 2018 fatal crash, officials said.
A woman has been charged and will be arraigned Thursday for a 2018 chain-reaction crash that killed a 22-month-old boy in South Boston, prosecutors said.
Charlene Casey, 64, of South Boston, was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 25 and charged with motor vehicle homicide for the July 25, 2018 crash that killed Colin McGrath and seriously injured his 4-year-old sister, Sloane, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Casey is set to be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court.
The two children were on L Street, heading home from a day at the nearby park as their nanny pushed Colin McGrath in a stroller, when a van, hit by an oncoming car, jumped the sidewalk and crashed into them, authorities said.
“We remain enormously grateful for the support of our family, friends, community, colleagues, elected officials, the Boston Police Department, and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office,” the McGrath family said in a statement Thursday. “We have trust and faith in the ongoing judicial process and ask for continued respect of our family’s privacy.”
Statement from the McGrath Family #WCVB https://t.co/PEEtLBXsOH pic.twitter.com/kVvuN2C2xN
— Matt Reed (@MattReedNews) December 19, 2019
Last month’s indictment follows an investigation involving an extensive accident reconstruction, officials said.
Prosecutors said the findings show that Casey, who was behind the wheel of a Toyota Prius that collided with the van, failed to yield the right of way to vehicles traveling on L Street, as legally required, in the moments before the crash.
Officials allege Casey was driving on East Sixth Street around 3:31 p.m. when she stopped at a stop sign at the L Street intersection, the District Attorney’s office said in a statement.
A driver in the southbound lane on L Street stopped “and waved her through the intersection,” prosecutors said. Casey had an “unobstructed view of the northbound travel lane on L Street” because no vehicles were parked on that side that day because of the street cleaning schedule, officials said.
“The defendant was legally required to yield the right of way to traffic on L Street but failed to do so before accelerating into the intersection,” the District Attorney’s office said. “As she accelerated through the intersection she struck a van traveling northbound on L Street. The van’s steering was damaged in the crash, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. As a result, the van struck Colin, his sister and their adult caretaker, all of whom were on the sidewalk of L Street.”
Authorities said the driver of the van and others rushed to help the three victims until first responders arrived.
Colin McGrath was brought to Boston Medical Center were he succumbed to his injuries, while Sloane McGrath suffered broken bones “and other injuries, including a lacerated liver,” officials said. Their adult caretaker was not seriously injured.
“The tragedy of Colin’s death is compounded by the preventable nature of the crash that claimed his young, beautiful life,’’ District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement. “This was an exhaustive investigation led by my office and members of the Boston Police Department. I’m grateful to every member of this team for their work securing the indictment, and supporting this family.
“I would also like to thank the individuals who immediately provided aid to Colin and his sister in the wake of this crash,” Rollins added. “These efforts, and the support expressed by so many members of the community, I am sure mean a great deal to this family who is in the depths of grief.”
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