Nikolas Papadopoulos, 18, will be charged with a slew of violations for a Sept. 6 crash that sent six people to the hospital - one of them a 14-year-old who suffered "life altering" brain and spine injuries after being ejected from Papadopoulos's SUV and another the other driver, who remains in a medically induced coma, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office and State Police say.
Papadopoulos will be charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle, which carries potential jail time, as well as civil offenses of speeding, failing to ensure that two passengers under 16 were wearing seat belts and unsafely crossing the road's lane markings.
Officials say Papadopoulos was not driving impaired, just stupidly, around 2 p.m. that day. In a statement, DA Dan Conley said:
At this stage in the investigation, we believe the defendant's excessive speed was the primary factor. This was an avoidable tragedy. It didn’t have to happen.
That evidence suggests:
Papadopoulos was travelling westbound on the state roadway at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour when the 2003 Mazda Tribute he was operating jumped the median strip near St. Joseph Street, began to roll, and collided with a 2004 Ford F-150 pick-up truck heading eastbound.
Also:
At the time of the crash, Papadopoulos had three passengers: one 14-year-old from Chestnut Hill, another 14-year-old from West Roxbury, and a 15-year-old also from West Roxbury. While all four are currently expected to survive, the 14-year-old from Chestnut Hill sustained life-altering injuries to the brain and spine after being ejected from the vehicle. Neither he nor the other 14-year-old was wearing his seat belt.
The operator of the Ford, a 33-year-old Dorchester man, was also critically injured and remains in a medically-induced coma at Brigham and Women's Hospital. His passenger, age 34 and a resident of Quincy, has been released from care with less serious injuries. Both men in the Ford were wearing seat belts.
Papadopoulos remains hospitalized at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He will be summonsed to West Roxbury District Court for arraignment on a future date.
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Comments
Agreed
By fairlee76
Wed, 09/18/2013 - 8:26pm
You can't legislate/police against stupid. Also, anyone else a little weirded out by the fact that an 18 year old was chauffeuring around 14/15 year olds? Seems odd to me. Of course, I am using my memories of the kids in my HS that used to run with a younger crowd.
I wondered about this but the
By anon
Wed, 09/18/2013 - 11:01pm
I wondered about this but the second eldest passenger was also a varsity hockey player with him and the 14 year olds were both on the JV per the coach who was interviewed, I'm assuming that is the link between the 4.
I also have to agree with the people who drive this roadway daily, if you went 25 you'd get run over. I can't imagine how a police officer could even pull into these roadways in traffic without being hit himself, even if he did find someone going at an excessive speed. There must be another solution other than that one.
May all six involved continue in their recovery it was terribly avoidable....
Can't legislate/police against stupid, eh?
By anon
Fri, 09/20/2013 - 2:31am
There's something rather abnormal about the fact that a guy who's legally an adult was chauffeuring around kids who were much younger than himself, who were not adults yet, and not only put those who were still young children in danger but, in fact, more than likely was responsible for the destruction of at least 2 other lives. Pathetic indeed. Yes, they should legislate and police against stupid, to protect others by taking perpetrators of this kind of s**t off of the roads for awhile.
Dangerous Road
By Lisa
Wed, 09/18/2013 - 2:55pm
I have always thought of that stretch of road as dangerous to many curves, so I avoid it as much as possible I can't image how you cold travel at 80mph in the middle of the day anyway. geshhhhh what an idiot this kid is.
Speeding is everywhere
By anon
Wed, 09/18/2013 - 4:12pm
Speeding's everywhere. There was no way to prevent this the kid was going to be going 80 if he was by himself and the poor b$stards in the other car were going to to get hit. Anyone ever stand at the crosswalks going to the North End or Aquarium? The cars are flying by on Atlantic Ave.
As far as the cops go pulling people over. Here's one for ya. I'm in the slow lane on 128 N in Wakefield a Statie gets behind me and lights me up as I am taking the off ramp (blinker on). So I continue down the off ramp onto Salem St and pull into a condo complex because it was 8 am and the only place to go without completely screwing up traffic. First thing the jerk says is " why didn't you stop. I was going to tbone you". Really? Watch a little too much Worlds most dangerous police chases. By the way the reason I was pulled over was that I forgot to put the reg sticker on my plate. It was sitting on the table at my house cause I renewed early. I understand my fault but he couldn't tell that it was renewed when he ran my plate.
How do you do 80MPH on the
By anon
Wed, 09/18/2013 - 4:28pm
How do you do 80MPH on the Arborway? I guess not well, thus we have this accident.
How do you do 80 MPH on that
By anon
Wed, 09/18/2013 - 5:47pm
How do you do 80 MPH on that section heading westbound, after just driving over the bridge that is now one long speed bump due to its deteriorating condition?
seat belt
By anon
Wed, 09/18/2013 - 4:59pm
All these comments about speeding, but nothing pointing out the fact that the passengers weren't wearing seatbelts?
18 year olds driving
By anon
Wed, 09/18/2013 - 9:13pm
18 year olds driving recklessly with a boat load of other distracting kids in the car is the main problem here.
Parents who let their kids drive their cars (not sure if the kid owned this car or not) have to burn in into their kids skulls that they must be responsible, pay attention to driving and not fooling around.
It is a very very sad way for this boy to learn that lesson - he's responsible for the likely destruction of at least 2 people's lives.
I think how lucky I am to be alive after being in a car when I was a teenager where we only had one car but somehow had to get 8 of us to a party. That was before SUVs and nobody every wore a seatbelt and people were two deep on eachother's laps in front and back seat. Teenagers are dumb and dumberer.
Legal adult
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 09/19/2013 - 10:16am
An 18 year old is legally an adult.
This isn't about parental control, nor should it be.
AT 80 mph on that Jamaicaway, it doesn't matter
By anon
Thu, 09/19/2013 - 10:51am
At 80 mph on that jamaicaway/Riverway, it doesn't matter whether people are wearing seatbelts. They would've been injured anyway, although possibly not as seriously. People should wear seat belts, and not speed.
My g*d!
By anon
Thu, 09/19/2013 - 9:50am
What business did the kid have doing 80 mph on the Jamaicaway in the first place? It's because of the lack of law enforcement that such injuries happen. He should have his license pulled and be put behind bars for awhile for causing such injury and misery to other people, as well as for speeding.
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