Man faces drunk driving charges after fatal car crash. Here are the charges and penalties
FALL RIVER — A man formerly of Somerset will stand before a judge on Tuesday after a deadly car crash on the Veterans Memorial Bridge on Christmas night that killed a family of three.
Adam Gauthier, 41, of New York is scheduled to appear in Fall River District Court. He is accused of driving drunk the wrong way on the bridge and crashing into multiple cars, causing the deaths of Jacoby Arruda, 15, and his grandparents, Floriano and Donna Arruda.
Gauthier suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash and was held on $100,000 cash bail. On Tuesday, he’ll face a pre-trial hearing on multiple charges and be arraigned on new charges. Here’s a recap of what happened and a look at what to expect.
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What happened in the Christmas car crash?
Just after 11 p.m. on Christmas, troopers from the State Police Dartmouth Barracks responded to the westbound side of the Veterans Memorial Bridge between Fall River and Somerset. A preliminary investigation indicated that a 2023 Range Rover SUV with a New York registration was driving east on the westbound side. The Range Rover struck two westbound vehicles, a 2019 Honda Accord sedan with two occupants and a 2014 Infiniti QX50 SUV with three 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.
The Arrudas, of Seekonk, were in the Infiniti SUV. Jacoby Arruda was pronounced dead that night at Charlton Memorial Hospital. Floriano Arruda, 73, was pronounced dead the next morning at Rhode Island Hospital.
Donna Arruda, 68, spent several days at Rhode Island Hospital in severe condition, and died Dec. 29 from her injuries.
Floriano and Donna had custody of Jacoby and raised him. The three were buried in Notre Dame Cemetery in Fall River after a triple funeral on Jan. 5.
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What is Adam Gauthier charged with?
Gauthier was arraigned from his hospital bed at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford on Dec. 26. He was 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.
At the time of his arraignment, Donna Arruda had not succumbed to her injuries.
Following her death, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office charged him with additional charges of manslaughter while operating under the influence and motor vehicle homicide-OUI liquor. He will be arraigned on those two new charges Tuesday.
What sentence could he see if convicted of those charges?
According to Massachusetts General Laws, motor vehicle homicide-OUI liquor is a felony, and a conviction results in a mandatory minimum of one year in the House of Correction or minimum 2 and a half years in state prison; OUI-liquor with serious bodily injury is a felony, and a conviction means a mandatory minimum of six months in the House of Correction or 2 and a half years in state prison.
Manslaughter while operating under the influence is a felony, and conviction results in a minimum five-year state prison sentence.
Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Former Somerset man to face OUI manslaughter charges after car crash
