Articles Posted in Vehicular Crimes

Philip Wuonola, a 19-year-old Waltham man, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to motor vehicle homicide charges arising from a May crash that killed a 9-year-old boy. It is alleged that Wuonola ran a stop sign when he was delivering pizza for Domino’s.

Wuonola was arraigned in Waltham District Court and was released on personal recognizance. The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office told the Boston Globe that Wuonola was driving a 2002 Mazda Protégé when it collided with a Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV at a Waltham intersection. The SUV was overturned from the impact and the 9-year-old, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected and later pronounced dead at Newton Wellesley Hospital. The boy’s mother survived.

Wuonola’s attorney told the Globe that his client is traumatized and devastated by the death. The attorney also said that he will pursue the issue of whether the death was caused by the mother’s failure to use a seatbelt for the child or by the crash.

Although it is unclear from the article, this is may be a misdemeanor charge because there is no mention of the teen driver being under the influence or alcohol or drugs. If that is the case, then the maximum penalty that he would be facing is up to 2 1/2 years in jail or a house of correction or by a fine of at least $300 and up to $3,000, or both. To be convicted, the prosecutor will have to prove that Wuonola was operating the vehicle recklessly or negligently. It will be interesting to see how the attorney approaches this issue of the cause of the boy’s death. It is a smart and absolutely necessary issue to raise because the leading cause of death for children in accidents is lack of seatbelt use. The attorney will have to approach it with finesse and sensitivity if the case goes before a jury, though.

Source: The Boston Globe, Waltham man pleads not guilty to motor vehicle homicide charge
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A 26-year-old man from Roslindale has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated. The Boston Globe reported that Patrick Smith, a New Jersey man, was driving along the Major Deegan Expressway in New York City when he collided with a vehicle driven by Pablo Ovalles, who was driving north in a southbound lane. Smith was pronounced dead, and Ovalles is being hospitalized.

Source: The Boston Globe, Roslindale man charged in fatal crash

The potential consequences of drunk driving are serious everywhere. If this man had been charged in Massachusetts, then not only would he be facing jail time, but he would also be facing loss or suspension of his license, large fines, and much more. At Altman & Altman, we’ve successfully defended clients in countless drunk-driving cases.

If this man’s vehicular manslaughter charge had been a Massachusetts one, then the issue of whether he’d be looking at a felony or misdemeanor would depend on the circumstances. In Massachusetts, vehicular homicide is a felony where the driving was both negligent/reckless and the defendant was drunk. It’s a misdemeanor where the defendant was either reckless/negligent or drunk.
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A speeding car near 1400 Tremont St. in Roxbury killed a man riding a scooter on Sunday night. The vehicle then kept going and headed toward Brigham Circle.

The man was pronounced dead at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He has not been indentified awaiting notification to his family.

The police have not yet released a description of the vehicle.

Source: The Boston Globe, Scooter driver killed in Roxbury hit and run

When a person dies because of a hit and run, the driver will be charged with a felony. The punishments can be very serious. If you have been involved in a hit and run, it is strongly recommended that you immediately contact an attorney with hit and run experience.
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