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Fatal Accident on Rte. 3A - Teen Killed
Created by Patriot Ledger on 22nd March 2008, 11:40 amThe driver in a weekend accident that killed a Scituate High School sophomore faces seven charges related to the crash – including motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence with negligence, authorities said.
Christopher Barrow, 18, of Cohasset was critically injured when his 2003 Toyota Tundra flipped over several times before landing in the woods beside Route 3A in Cohasset, about a mile from the Scituate line.
Barrow, a senior at Scituate High School, was in critical condition Monday, according to a spokesperson at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Barrow’s passenger, Timothy Mahoney, 16, a sophomore and varsity athlete at Scituate High School, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cohasset police Lt. William Quigley said police found alcohol in the truck after the crash.
“We have probable cause and we believe that the driver was under the influence of alcohol,” Quigley said.
He declined to elaborate, and would not say whether a blood-alcohol test had been done on Barrow.
In addition to motor vehicle homicide, Barrow faces charges of possession of alcohol as a minor and transporting alcohol as a minor, according to David Traub, a spokesman for the Norfolk County district attorney’s office.
Motor vehicle homicide is a felony, he said.
Other charges against Barrow include negligent driving, marked lane violation, speeding and failure to wear a seat belt.
Quigley said both teens were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
Speed is also believed to be a factor, though Quigley could not say how fast the truck was going at the time of the crash.
The stretch of Route 3A where the crash occurred is a 50 mph zone.
“We determined that he was going too fast for the conditions at the time,” Quigley said, adding that the road was wet at the time of the crash.
Traub said the next step will depend on Barrow’s medical condition.
More than 250 people had joined a group on the social networking Web site Facebook for Barrow on Monday, posting messages of support and hope for his recovery.
A wake for Mahoney will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. today at St. Mary of the Nativity Church, 1 Kent St., Scituate Harbor.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mary’s Church.
