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5 things we learned from City Councilor Kendra Lara’s new interview about her driving history
"One mistake does not make one unworthy of holding elected office, not just for me, but for anybody else," Lara said during the NBC10 Boston interview with Sue O'Connell.
With a tough preliminary election coming the following day, Boston District 6 City Councilor Kendra Lara appeared on NBC10 Boston Monday to address the issue that’s plagued her all summer — the June car crash that revealed she’d long been driving without a valid license.
On June 30, Lara was driving another person’s car when she crashed into the front of a house in Jamaica Plain — the neighborhood where she lives. Her 7-year-old son was in the car at the time and suffered a head injury, but has since recovered.
Boston police charged Lara with negligent operation, assault and battery on a child with injury, and other motor vehicle charges, which she has pleaded not guilty to. They also accused her of driving at least 53 mph in a 25 mph zone, an allegation which Lara now disputes based on a report from a crash reconstruction company.
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After the crash, Lara came under fire from other city councilors because it revealed that her license had been suspended and later revoked after she was found driving with a suspended license in Connecticut in 2015. One councilor even called for her resignation.
But Lara apologized for her actions and pressed on with her campaign for reelection this year, even garnering the endorsement of the influential Jamaica Plain Progressives group.
Here’s what we learned Monday:
1. Lara waited to obtain evidence of her crash speed before disputing police allegations
When asked why she waited until a few days before the election to dispute the allegation that she was driving at least 53 mph in a 25 mph zone, Lara said she first wanted to obtain evidence to back her claim. It took longer to get the report than she’d hoped, but notably, it found she was only driving 27 mph.
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Lara said she maintained “privately” that she was not going over 50 mph. Still, she said, she had her eyes on the road at the time and didn’t feel she could absolutely say how fast she was going.
“I really wanted to be sure about how fast I was going. I wanted to make sure that I was making statements, especially when I’m questioning the integrity of a police officer who conducted the investigation and questioning their ability and the information that they’re putting in the police report, I wanted to make sure that I had facts to back up my claim,” she said.
Boston police spokesperson John Boyle said Monday night that police would not comment on Lara’s claims about her speed, as they involve pending litigation.
2. Lara says she avoided driving without a license for years
Lara said she hasn’t been driving without a license the entire time her license was invalid. She lives close enough to downtown that her family does not own a car, she said, but about a year-and-a-half ago when she became divorced, her situation became more difficult.
Lara said her son has a sensory processing disorder, which makes it difficult for him to use public transit. They also live too far away from his school for him to walk, and Uber and Lyft are expensive to use regularly, she said.
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“I had to make a decision because there were no other options available to me,” Lara said. ” … I had to make a decision to say, ‘I’m a mother first, and I have to figure out how to do this for my son.'”
A city spokesperson said security footage revealed that Lara drove to City Hall “regularly” while in office before the crash.
Lara thinks now that she might’ve handled the situation differently by minimizing the need to drive more often than she did. Still, she said, she feels she was put in a difficult situation.
“Being a single parent is difficult enough. Being an elected official is already difficult enough. And then having to parent a kid with special needs and figure out all of the different accommodations for that when you are a working-class person who is taking care of more people than just your own family member. It took a toll,” she said.
Lara was originally asked how many times she’d driven without a license before the crash and did not answer this question specifically. Her office did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday night.
3. Lara says she’s been fighting with the RMV to get her license back since before the crash
Lara said she started trying to get her license reinstated before she was elected to the Boston City Council in 2021.
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She said she’s struggled to navigate the process of getting her license back while working with vehicle registries in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Lara went as far as saying she “was in a fight with the RMV for 10 months” before the crash.
“I got myself kind of stuck in the crosshairs between these two massive bureaucratic organizations trying to figure this out,” she said.
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) released a statement on Lara’s comments to Boston.com Monday night.
“Any state resident with a non-lifetime suspension of their license has steps, based on the suspension type, that they are legally required to follow to reinstate their license,” it said. “The RMV is unable to reinstate a customer’s license until they address the requirements necessary for their specific circumstance.”
4. Lara says she’s not driving now, but is getting around with help
Lara confirmed Monday in the interview that she still has not had her license reinstated.
Instead of driving, she said, she’s getting around with help from friends and community members. Lara said the revelation that her license was invalid has made it easier for her to ask for help.
“A lot of members of my community have really stepped up to be supportive,” she said.
5. Lara believes her mistake doesn’t preclude her from holding elected office
When asked what she would say to constituents who feel breaking the law disqualifies her from holding public office, Lara said her track record as a councilor shows her character. Her constituents know her well, she said, which is why they are still supporting and helping her.
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“One mistake does not make one unworthy of holding elected office, not just for me, but for anybody else,” Lara said. “I want to make sure that people who are struggling, who are seeing this happen and unfold very publicly, know that there is no shame in struggling, and that even if they are struggling, there is still a place for them in the halls of power.”
Other things we learned
Lara said at the beginning of the interview that she and her son are in good health despite the crash. He started second grade this month, she said.
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“It’s been a difficult moment for myself, my family, and this community,” she said. “But we have definitely come out on the other side of it, and we’re happy to be healthy.”
The interviewer also asked Lara about a Boston Herald article that reported the new crash report was paid for by two members of Jamaica Plain Progressives.
Lara said her lawyer paid for the report, but that the group and other community members have been fundraising to pay him back for it. She and her lawyer are still looking into the legality of this given the restrictions on campaign finance, she said.
Watch Lara’s interview with NBC10 Boston:
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