Man, 92, sentenced in fatal crash

The criminal case against an elderly Springfield man who hit and killed a Ludlow teenager on a motorcycle with his pickup last spring in a North Springfield intersection has been resolved with a probationary sentence.
Related story: Motorcyclist dies after crash in North Springfield
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150205/NEWS02/702059928

Published February 5, 2015 in the Rutland Herald Man, 92, sentenced in fatal crash By ERIC FRANCIS CORRESPONDENT WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The criminal case against an elderly Springfield man who hit and killed a Ludlow teenager on a motorcycle with his pickup last spring in a North Springfield intersection has been resolved with a probationary sentence. Erwin Eddy, 92, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of careless and negligent operation of a vehicle and was given a completely suspended 2-to-12 month sentence for the crash that claimed the life of 19-year-old Warren Lewis of Ludlow on the afternoon of May 1, 2014. The plea agreement places Eddy on probation until further order of the court with special conditions that he not drive for any reason and not possess a vehicle, keys to a vehicle or license plates unless specifically allowed to do so in the future by a court order. The probation conditions also call for Eddy to observe a 24-hour a day curfew in his residence except for one “errand day” each week. Eddy told police at the scene of the fatal crash that he had been driving east on Route 10, returning home to Springfield from a trip to Rutland when he slowed and activated his turn signal preparing to turn north onto County Road North, which meets Route 10 just a short distance west of a similar intersection with Route 106 North. Springfield Police Cpl. Michael Gilderdale said Eddy told him he was aware there were several cars lined up behind him, but he did not believe there was any traffic coming west toward him in the other lane. Frank Guica, a driver in one of those other cars behind Eddy, told investigators that he was watching as Lewis approached on his black Yamaha motorcycle in the westbound lane at approximately 35 mph coming out of the Route 106 intersection. Guica said, as the motorcycle came toward the line of cars, it “started to waver and pull to the right toward the side of the road” and then, as it traveled in front of the intersection with County Road North, Eddy’s gold-colored pickup drove across the lanes and into the side of the motorcycle, striking Lewis with the hood and throwing him 8 feet up into the air before he hit the ground, mortally injured. Another witness, Melinda Dubeau, told police moments after Lewis passed her on his motorcycle at what she felt was a reasonable rate of speed she heard the “loud bang” of the impact. Dubeau told police that, “due to the color of the motorcycle and the color of the (Lewis’) clothing, he was hard to see (but) she advised she did seem him though,” Gilderdale noted in his report. The results of the autopsy on Lewis, filed with the court, concluded that, even though he had been wearing his helmet, Lewis died as a result of blunt force trauma to his head. Gilderdale said Lewis’ mother, Elizabeth Ayer, told him that her son “loved bike riding” and had just gotten his motorcycle on the road, saying that he had been waiting for the rain to stop that afternoon so he could go for a ride. Gilderdale’s report on the crash concluded that Eddy was at fault in the crash because he should have been able to see Lewis and the officer recommended that the Department of Motor Vehicles re-test Eddy, even though he had a valid driver’s license, to see if he was able to safely operate a vehicle.