Man charged in deadly wrong-way Christmas night crash in Somerset pleads not guilty
FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — A New York man who authorities say was driving drunk during a wrong-way crash on Christmas night that killed a 15-year-old boy and his grandparents pleaded not guilty in court on Friday.
Adam Gauthier, 41, entered Fall River District Court on crutches. His attorney said he suffered a fractured sternum and ribs.
Gauthier, a New York City resident who formerly lived in Somerset, was released on the same $100,000 bail he posted in the hospital following the crash.
Prosecutors said in court that Gauthier admitted to drinking and that he shouldn’t have been driving.
Adam Gauthier, the driver charged in a wrong-way crash that killed a 15-year-old boy and his grandparents, is arraigned in Fall River District Court, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. (WLNE)
Gauthier was originally set to appear in court earlier this month, but the hearing was moved after prosecutors said Gauthier and his attorneys were not aware that there were additional charges for him to be arraigned on.
The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said Gauthier crashed into the Arruda family’s SUV head-on while driving the wrong way on the Somerset side of the Veterans Memorial Bridge at about 11 p.m. on Christmas.
He faces additional charges of manslaughter while operating under the influence and motor vehicle homicide — OUI of liquor following the death of 68-year-old Donna Arruda.
Donna died days after her husband, 73-year-old Floriano “Flo” Arruda, and their 15-year-old grandson Jacoby. The family lived in Seekonk.
The Arruda family was killed in a crash in Somerset on Christmas night. From left, Jacoby, 15, Floriano, 73, and Donna, 68. (Photos courtesy of Kevin Phelan)
Family members of the victims, including Donna’s children, Lisa Napert and Carl Rebello, were in the courtroom on Friday. They are confident that they will see justice.
“It’s a tragedy on both sides, he made a terrible mistake, but unfortunately, there are consequences that come about,” they told ABC 6 News.
They said they feel stuck reliving the tragedy.
“Just gonna keep reliving something that we shouldn’t be reliving,” they said.
In memory of their loved ones, family members launched the Jacoby Arruda Memorial Foundation.
The foundation honors Jacoby’s love for baseball by helping support the construction and maintenance of underfunded baseball fields for children to play on across Massachusetts.
