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City Councilor Kendra Lara was driving at least 53 mph in a 25 mph zone when she crashed into a house, police say
Lara's son was injured in the crash.
Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara crashed a car into a house in Jamaica Plain while her son was in the back seat late last month. And now a police report says she was driving at least 53 mph in a 25 mph zone when the crash happened.
Police cited the District 6 councilor for reckless operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, and a seat belt violation in response to the crash, the report says. She also faces a booster seat/car seat violation because her 7-year-old son was allegedly buckled in but not properly restrained.
“Even though the rear passenger side seat belt was buckled at the time of the accident, the child may not have been completely restrained properly … , as he struck the arm rest and the rear of the front passenger side car seat,” police wrote. “The child, based on his age … and height … , was to have been restrained in a Booster Seat.”
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The crash caused him to bleed “profusely” from his left eyebrow, police said.
It was previously reported that the boy was treated at Boston Children’s Hospital and received several stitches but was not seriously injured. The report says Lara appeared uninjured after the crash.
Lara did not respond to a request for comment late Wednesday evening, but she apologized to constituents on July 8.
“We are all accountable for our actions, and I am no different, which is why I offer my sincerest apologies to everyone, especially the people of District 6,” Lara said in a statement.
“As an elected official, I’ve worked hard to center the dignity and humanity of my constituents. Today, I ask you to also see mine as I work to correct my mistake.”
What the police report says
According to the report, Lara crashed a 2019 Honda Civic through a fence and then into the front porch of a house at 803 Centre St. It happened around 4:25 p.m. on June 30 in “clear and dry” weather.
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Police used measurements taken at the scene to determine that Lara must’ve been going at least 53 mph when the car exited the road to the left and hit the house. The car reportedly traveled over 150 feet before stopping.
The report also says that photos from the scene indicate that Lara didn’t brake during the crash. Additionally, it says that around the time of the crash, pedestrian and vehicular traffic was heavy at a nearby intersection.
A witness told police he saw Lara coming down the street at a high rate of speed while sitting in his parked car. He then saw the car make a hard left turn into the fence surrounding the house.
It is unclear what caused the crash based on the report. Lara said previously that she swerved to avoid hitting another car.
The report does not specify whether the car was uninsured or unregistered as has been previously reported. Lara confirmed previously that it didn’t belong to her.
Police inspected the vehicle after the crash and found significant front-end damage, as well as damage to the rear passenger-side brake light and lower panel, the report says. They also found blood on an armrest and in the back where Lara’s son was sitting.
Kendra Lara’s driving record
The report confirms previous reporting that Lara’s license was revoked at the time of the crash.
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Her driving record goes back to 2010 when she was cited for driving without the vehicle’s registration in her possession and a seat belt violation, the report says. Her license was reportedly suspended in 2013 after she didn’t pay the fine for the seat belt violation.
Then, in 2015, Lara was cited in Connecticut after she was caught driving with a suspended license, the report says. As per Massachusetts law, the RMV then revoked her license in response to the out-of-state citation.
Police reported Lara as an “immediate threat” to the RMV as a result of the Jamaica Plain crash. According The Boston Globe, she was already facing charges of operating a motor vehicle after suspension, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle in the crash.
The Globe also wrote that police reported Lara to the Department of Children and Families for the booster seat/car seat violation.
Lara represents District 6, which includes Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, and Roslindale. She is due in West Roxbury District Court on July 19, the Globe reported.
City leaders’ response to the crash
According to the Globe, City Council President Ed Flynn called for a review of employee parking procedures at City Hall in response to the crash. He reportedly wrote that drivers should “be required to provide verification of a valid driver’s license, copy of a vehicle registration, and insurance.”
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City Hall employees told the Globe that Lara has long been driving to work at City Hall, including just two days before the crash. Some employees reportedly said she drove a Civic similar to the one described in the police report.
Lara isn’t the only Boston city councilor to receive bad press in recent weeks. Late last month, District 5 Councilor Ricardo Arroyo admitted to an ethics violation and paid a $3,000 fine for continuing to represent his brother in a sexual harassment suit after becoming a city councilor.
Last week, Flynn admonished the two councilors for bringing negative attention to the body.
“The people of Boston deserve the highest standards of strong and ethical leadership,” Flynn reportedly said in a statement.
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