Funeral planned for three family members killed in Christmas night crash in Somerset
SOMERSET — A joint funeral will be held this week for a local family killed in a Christmas night crash on Veterans Memorial Bridge.
Floriano “Flo” Arruda, 73, his wife Donna Arruda, 68, and their 15-year-old grandson Jacoby Arruda died in a crash Monday, Dec. 25, after an alleged drunk driver going the wrong way struck their vehicle on the Fall River-Somerset span.
Visitation will be held Thursday, Jan. 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 4 to 8 p.m. at the Auclair Funeral Home, 690 S. Main St., Fall River. A funeral Mass will follow on Friday, Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. at St. John of God Church in Somerset.
Floriano and Donna, married 38 years, were Seekonk residents, formerly of Dighton, and had raised their grandson Jacoby after the sudden passing of their son, Jacoby's father Ryan Arruda, in 2015.
The couple has Fall River ties. Floriano, who was born in Sao Miguel in the Azores, worked at the now-closed Duro Finishing in Fall River for over 30 years, and most recently at Superior Trucking, and Donna is a city native and graduate of Durfee High School.
Floriano was also a coach with Fall River's Maplewood Youth Baseball League for a time.
According to his obituary, Floriano "cherished spending time with his grandkids and was an avid New England sports fan. He enjoyed a Sunday ride on his motorcycle, a walk with his lovely wife Donna and was quick to lend a hand without hesitation to anyone who needed it."
Donna, who worked in the Dighton-Rehoboth school system, "saw the good in everything, always had a coffee in her hand, gave selflessly to her loved ones and had a great laugh," her obituary reads. "Donna was a strong and resilient woman who fought until the very end."
Both are survived by children Lisa Rebello Napert (husband Brock), Carl Rebello, Lisa Arruda-Graham (husband John) and Keith Arruda, as well as siblings and other family.
They are described in their obituaries as "doting grandparents" to Jacoby, who formerly attended Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, where he played football and baseball. Jacoby also played in the Dartmouth Youth Football League and in AAU Baseball.
Jacoby recently began attending Seekonk High School. According to his obituary, Jacoby loved spending time with his grandparents, who traveled to many sporting events together to watch him play.
"He enjoyed playing video games, eating taquitos for breakfast, always stopped to pet a dog, he was a good friend to many and was known to get a laugh with his quick wit," the obituary reads. "He had a beautiful smile and will be remembered by all for it."
Jacoby is survived by his mother Krystal (Rosado) Roszak and grandmother Maria Rosado, as well as many other relatives.
Following the funeral on Friday, burial will be held at Notre Dame Cemetery in Fall River. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Jacoby Foundation. See the Auclair Funeral Home website for more details.
Details of the Christmas night crash
The Arrudas were in a 2014 Infiniti QX50 SUV that was struck head on.
According to a press release on the crash, just after 11 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 25, troopers from the State Police Dartmouth Barracks responded to the westbound side of the bridge. Their preliminary investigation indicated that a 2023 Range Rover SUV with a New York registration was driving east on the westbound side, and struck two westbound vehicles: the Infiniti that the Arrudas were in, and a 2019 Honda Accord sedan, with two occupants.
The driver and passenger of the Honda, both of them young adult women from Taunton, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at Charlton Memorial Hospital.
Jacoby was pronounced dead on Monday night, Dec. 25, at Charlton Memorial Hospital. Floriano was pronounced dead the following morning, on Tuesday, at Rhode Island Hospital. Donna died Friday afternoon at Rhode Island Hospital, according to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.
Driver facing motor vehicle homicide charges
The driver of the Range Rover was identified as 41-year-old New York resident Adam Gauthier, formerly of Somerset, who was treated at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford for non-life-threatening injuries.
Gauthier was arraigned from his hospital bed Tuesday, Dec. 26, on 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. He is being held on $100,000 cash bail.
In the wake of Donna Arruda's death on Friday, Dec. 5, new charges of manslaughter while operating under the influence and motor vehicle homicide-OUI liquor, were filed against Gauthier, the DA's office said in a press release Friday.
Gauthier is being held in the medical unit at the House of Corrections in Dartmouth. He is set to appear in Fall River District Court for an initial pre-trial hearing in the case on Jan. 9.
— With reporting from Herald News Digital Producer Dan Medeiros
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Funeral set for 3 family members killed in wrong-way Christmas Day crash
