Keene police cite driver in crash that left pedestrian seriously injured last month
May 28—The driver of the vehicle that struck a Keene State College student on Main Street last month has been cited with failure to yield to a pedestrian, Keene police said Friday.
Keino Somers, 24, is still recovering from the crash, his sister, Gail Somers, said in a phone interview Friday, during which she expressed frustration with what she described as a lack of communication from the police department. She said her brother, who missed the end of his spring semester due to his injuries, will need physical therapy and a possible surgery for an injury to his collarbone.
Keene police Sgt. Joel Chidester previously told The Sentinel that Keino Somers was using a crosswalk near Keene State's archway just after 3 p.m. on April 19. As he walked, two vehicles stopped, but a third, a Jeep Renegade driven by Aidan Dehays, 21, of Athol, Mass., failed to yield and hit him, Chidester said.
Keino Somers suffered a concussion, a swollen head and face, and injuries to his right arm and collarbone, his sister said at the time.
The investigation into the crash wrapped up early this week, Keene police Sgt. Collin Zamore said Friday, with the traffic violation being issued to Dehays on Tuesday. The Sentinel has submitted a right-to-know request with the city seeking the police report.
Despite what she said were multiple attempts to reach the police department, Gail Somers, who owns Yahso Jamaican Grille in downtown Keene, said Friday she was hearing about the investigation's conclusion for the first time from The Sentinel.
"I've called them several times and haven't received any response," she said of the police. "You'd think as a family they would keep us in the loop."
Police did not respond Friday afternoon to questions about this.
After the crash, Gail Somers raised concern that Keene police had not issued a traffic citation or criminal charge to the driver — calling it "beyond comprehension" that he was allowed to leave the scene without so much as a ticket. She questioned whether the race of her brother, who is Black, played a role in the decision to not do so immediately.
She said police had told her they were waiting to hear about the level of her brother's injuries before issuing any charges or citations. Keino Somers does not wish to speak to a reporter at this time, she said last week.
Lt. Steven Tenney previously told The Sentinel that race was not a factor in the department's decision not to issue a citation or charge at the scene.
But Gail Somers, who said she most recently attempted to contact the department on Tuesday — and has been keeping a log of her efforts dating back at least three weeks — continued to question whether race has been a factor in the family's interactions with police. She said she had received no call-backs and had had no voicemails or missed calls from the department.
"I don't know what else to think," she said. "I've tried patiently. I've left messages. Why else are they not getting back to me? I can't imagine that's typical behavior. They're either upset with me for questioning them in the very beginning or they're totally ignoring a family's concern."
In addition to an update on the investigation, Gail Somers said she has been trying to contact police for insurance information for the driver who hit her brother because she doesn't want finances to impede Keino's recovery.
"I also need to make sure that there isn't some care or follow up that he needs that's going to be outside of our financial ability," she said in a phone interview last week. "It's a lot of medical decisions to be made and I want to make sure that he can prioritize what is medically right for him."
After the crash, Gail Somers started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to aid her brother's recovery.
Zamore said Friday the driver's insurance information is included in the police report, which is available to people involved. He did not return phone and email requests Friday afternoon for comment about communications with Keino Somers' family. Chief Steven Russo also did not return an emailed request for comment.
Ryan Spencer can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1412, or rspencer@keenesentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @rspencerKS
