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Triple funeral planned for Mass. family killed in Christmas crash
The husband and wife and their grandson were killed when a driver who was allegedly drunk and driving in the wrong lane collided with their vehicle.
A funeral is planned for the three family members who were killed in a car crash in Somerset allegedly due to a drunk driver in the wrong lane.
In their obituaries online, funeral services for 73-year-old Floriano Arruda, 68-year-old Donna Arruda, and their 15-year-old grandson, Jacoby Arruda, will take place this week with two visitation opportunities in Fall River and a mass held on Friday in Somerset.
- Visitation: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 4, at Auclair Funeral Home, 690 South Main St. in Fall River
- Funeral Mass: 10 a.m., Friday, Jan. 5, at St. John of God Church, 1036 Brayton Ave. in Somerset
- Cemetery: 1540 Stafford Road in Fall River
The fatal crash occurred late Christmas night on the Somerset side of Veterans Memorial Bridge, when the Arruda family of Seekonk was in their Infiniti SUV. A Land Rover in the wrong lane hit them just after 11 p.m., which was being driven by 41-year-old Adam Gauthier of New York City.
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Police said Gauthier, who is a former Somerset resident, was intoxicated at the time of the wreck. He was arrested, held on $100,000 cash bail, and arraigned at Saint Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, where he was being treated for nonlife-threatening injuries.
He was initially charged with two counts of manslaughter while operating under the influence, two counts of motor vehicle homicide-OUI liquor, and one count each of OUI liquor with serious bodily injury, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, and driving the wrong way on a state highway for the deaths of Floriano Arruda, who died the next morning, and Jacoby Arruda, who died the night of the crash.
Donna Arruda was pronounced dead Friday, and new charges of manslaughter while operating under the influence and motor vehicle homicide-OUI liquor were filed against Gauthier.
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A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for Gauthier on Jan. 9 at the Fall River District Court.
Two women from Taunton in a Honda were also hit during the crash. Their injuries were nonlife-threatening, police said.
The Arruda family’s obituaries, published by Auclair Funeral Home and Cremation Service, said Floriano Arruda was born in Portugal and Donna Arruda was born in Fall River. Their grandson, who played football and baseball, lived with them, NBC10 reports.
The family was beloved in the Dighton community, where they lived before moving to Seekonk recently. Donna Arruda worked in the Dighton-Rehoboth school system, and Jacoby Arruda both attended schools and played sports there.
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