19-Year-Old Arraigned After Fatal Bridge Crash
A 19-year-old man from Plymouth was arraigned Monday, August 12, on charges stemming from a fatal car crash at the base of the Sagamore Bridge last Friday evening, August 9.
Records from Falmouth District Court show that Plymouth resident Paul A. Myers was arraigned on the following charges: passing violation, marked lanes violation, speeding at rate of speed greater than was reasonable and proper, motor vehicular homicide due to operating under the influence of drugs and negligence, operating under the influence of drugs, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Mr. Myers entered a plea of not guilty for all charges.
The charges come following a fatal accident on Route 6 southbound at the base of the Sagamore Bridge on August 9. Massachusetts State Police have said that the accident occurred around 7 o’clock that evening. The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the state police but preliminary information gleaned from police reports reviewed by the Enterprise indicates that Mr. Myers was traveling in the left lane approaching the Sagamore Bridge when he attempted to illegally pass the vehicle in front of him by shifting to the right lane.
The maneuver is said to have caused Mr. Myers’ vehicle to collide with a Toyota Corolla already traveling in the right lane. The Corolla hit the curb/bridge sidewalk as a result of the collision and then spun across the median, police said, before crashing into a third vehicle traveling northbound over the bridge.
Martha Sheldon, a 79-year-old resident of Plymouth, was killed in the head-on collision. Ms. Sheldon was a passenger in the Corolla, which was being driven by an 83-year-old man, also from Plymouth, who is reported to have suffered serious injuries. Ms. Sheldon was declared dead on the scene, according to police reports reviewed by the Enterprise.
According to the police report filed by State Trooper Frederick J. Bohnenberger, when asked if he was a witness or involved in the crash, Mr. Myers reportedly pointed to his vehicle and stated, “I caused it.”
Following the accident, Mr. Myers was taken into custody for suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. Prosecutors in the case said that troopers responding to the scene of the accident reported a “strong, fresh odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle” that Mr. Myers was operating, in addition to observing several “burnt marijuana blunts” inside the vehicle.
The Sagamore Bridge was closed to all southbound traffic following the incident, with northbound traffic limited to one lane, and it remained closed until after midnight on Saturday, August 10.
The 19-year-old was arraigned on Monday, August 12, on a half-dozen charges stemming from the accident, ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. Court documents show that Mr. Myers was held on $10,000 bail and transported to Barnstable County Correctional Facility; he was released that same day after posting bail, court records show. He was also ordered to surrender his passport, remain alcohol- and drug-free and refrain from driving a vehicle.
A probable cause hearing has been set for September 27.