Man charged in deadly Taunton crash indicted on drug, firearms charges

Alex Dube,
Hector Fernando Bannister-Sanchez seen in Taunton District Court, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. (WLNE)

TAUNTON, Mass. (WLNE) — The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday that the man connected to a fatal crash from last November has been indicted on new charges.

Hector Bannister-Sanchez, 34, was charged with second degree murder and reckless motor vehicle homicide and was indicted on drug trafficking and illegal firearms charges.

Bannister-Sanchez was being watched by the Massachusetts State Police Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction and Enforcement Team, when he picked up drugs from a stash house and brought them to the home of a suspected customer on East Main Street in Middleborough.

Court records show after a search warrant was executed on the Norton stash house, police found the following:

  • 750 grams of suspected cocaine
  • 70 grams of suspected fentanyl powder
  • 240 grams of suspected fentanyl pills
  • 182 grams of suspected methamphetamine pills
  • Drug packaging materials
  • One Glock-19 handgun with a high-capacity magazine
  • Over $45,000 in cash
  • Paperwork including drug legers

Police said Bannister-Sanchez’s girlfriend, 34-year-old Jillian Haynes, was also found at the Norton address.

Troopers followed Bannister-Sanchez from the stash house to the home in unmarked cruisers.

Once they arrived, police said they approached the suspect’s car on foot wearing plainclothes. Bannister-Sanchez noticed the troopers nearing his car, and sped off onto Main Street.

Witnesses told police the 34-year-old continued to drive at a high rate of speed through Middleborough, Lakeville, and Taunton.

After he fled the attempted stop, Bannister-Sanchez crashed into a Ford Fusion on Kingman Road.

Once they responded to the location, police found that Bannister-Sanchez’s SUV had crashed into 54-year-old Lori Medeiros’ sedan.

After the crash, police said the suspect ran from the scene with a backpack.

Medeiros was taken to Morton Hospital, where she later died.

Bannister-Sanchez will likely be arraigned in the Fall River Superior Court later this month.

Categories: Massachusetts, News

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