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Woman charged in crash that killed Webster 10-year-old, allegedly was driving twice the speed limit
Sherry Plitouke, 35, was caught on video less than a quarter-mile from the crash site going approximately 65 mph in a 30 mph speed limit zone, police wrote in court documents.
The Southbridge woman accused of striking and killing a 10-year-old girl while driving in Webster earlier this month is now facing motor vehicle homicide charges related to the crash, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Sherry Plitouke, 35, pleaded not guilty in court to charge of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and speeding in a special regulation zone, all misdemeanors, court records show.
Police responded to School Street in Webster the afternoon of April 11, where bystanders were performing CPR on Marleigh Guevara, a fourth grader at Webster Public Schools. She was transported to UMass Memorial Hospital, where she died of her injuries the next day.
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“My daughter, my beautiful Marleigh, was taken from me far too soon in a tragic accident,” her mother Heather Pereira wrote in an online fundraiser launched to cover burial costs. “I keep waiting to wake up from this nightmare, to hear her voice, to see her smile walk through the door… but that moment never comes.”
Less than a week before the crash, Plitouke pleaded not guilty to drug possession and operating under the influence and was released on her personal recognizance, court records show. The charges stem from an incident in Dudley where she allegedly fell asleep at the wheel and stopped in the road.
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After court Tuesday, Plitouke was held on $25,000 cash bail, according to prosecutors. Plitouke’s lawyer Robert Iacovelli told Boston.com that amount was “excessive.”
“She feels terrible about what happened,” Iacovelli said. “She was a mess today. She has kids of her own.”
Police: Driver was going 65 mph less than a quarter-mile from crash site
In Webster, Plitouke remained on the scene and spoke to police after allegedly striking the child, officers said. She told officers that she was traveling about 20 to 25 mph on School Street when the child ran out in front of her car.
“Sherry stated she wasn’t able to stop in time, and the child went right into the air. Her vehicle kept coasting until she came to a stop,” police wrote in an incident report. The child was wearing headphones, the report said.
Evidence at the scene showed that Plitouke could have been traveling 41 mph at the time of the impact, Webster police Sgt. Derek Mroczek, who also is a crash reconstructionist, wrote in the police report filed in court. The speed limit was 30 mph.
Police then obtained video from a local funeral home’s camera that caught Plitouke traveling on School Street going more than 65 miles per hour just a thousand feet away from the crash site, according to a video speed analysis, police wrote in the report.
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If Plitouke had been traveling the speed limit, she would have likely been able to stop her vehicle, Mroczek wrote.
“Ms. Plitouke’s speed was a major factor in this crash,” he wrote.
Police issued an arrest warrant for Plitouke, who had three probation defaults in separate cases and “may be purposefully avoiding law enforcement contact,” the officer wrote. Plitouke did not return a voicemail within the day, and her landlord told police she hadn’t been seen for two days.
Iacovelli said that Plitouke claims she called police back more than once, and he called the warrant and subsequent arrest “overzealous.”
“There was no reason for an arrest because it is not an arrestable offense,” he said in a phone call. “Sherry didn’t go on the sidewalk or near the sidewalk. She was just going down the street. … This poor girl just ran out into the middle of the road.”
The crash is still under active investigation, the Worcester County District Attorney’s office said.
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