"Hanson woman faces charges for Dec. crash that killed jogger" by Laura Crimaldi Globe Staff February 05, 2016
PLYMOUTH — A Hanson woman had a mix of methadone, Xanax, Valium, and Adderall in her system in December when the car she was driving crossed the center lane, went off the road, and struck a Hanover nurse who was doing a training run for the Boston Marathon, a prosecutor said Friday.
Time to stop hedging and clear up some confusion:
So far, little new in Marathon bombing files
What a surprise.
Man who loaned gun to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev released
He did his time and as long as he keeps his mouth shut he should be fine; otherwise, there may be a sudden disaster before the end of the journey.
Well, time to get running....
After the 2004 Nissan Altima hit Amanda Turner Russell, 32, as she jogged on Winter Street in Hanson around noon on Dec. 23, the car slammed into a telephone pole, which snapped in half, said Plymouth Assistant District Attorney Russell Eonas.
The driver was Kathleen M. Vitello, 52, who was taken into custody Thursday night and arraigned Friday in Plymouth District Court on charges including motor vehicle manslaughter and motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence of drugs.
Not guilty pleas were entered on her behalf.
Russell was declared brain dead on Dec. 28 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and she died the next day after her organs were removed to be donated, according to a police report filed in court.
That's an inspiration, of sorts.
Eonas said tests of blood and urine samples taken from Vitello found she had four drugs in her system at the time of the crash: methadone, a treatment for opiate addiction; the benzodiazepines Xanax and Valium; and Adderall, a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine prescribed for patients with narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Witnesses at the scene said Vitello appeared to be under the influence of a narcotic, nodded off, and repeatedly asked the same questions.
Defense attorney Daniel Walsh called the case tragic.
“I would point out, though there’s certainly evidence of drugs in her blood . . . those were within therapeutic levels,” he said.
Vitello has prescriptions for methadone and Xanax, Walsh said. “The evidence at this point really leads to the conclusion that something happened with the operation of the motor vehicle itself,” he said. “She was reaching for something at the time with horrible consequences.”
Judge James Sullivan set bail at $50,000, the amount requested by Eonas. Vitello is scheduled to return to court Feb. 25. Russell’s relatives declined to comment Friday.
Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said the case is about justice for Russell, who had an 8-year-old son and was living a “great life, doing great things.”
“When people take a different number or different amount of prescribed medications . . . there are consequences to that,” he said....
And sometimes there are no consequences for other things -- like murder.
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You know who can help her?
"Female addicts given an alternative to prison" by Travis Andersen Globe Staff February 05, 2016
TAUNTON — The Baker administration unveiled a new drug treatment unit for women at Taunton State Hospital on Thursday, marking a shift from what one official called “the Dark Ages” of sending female addicts to a state prison in Framingham for detox services.
Once again, the Massachusetts myth collides with reality and stains the legacy of Deval the Neglector.
The Women’s Recovery from Addictions Program, or WRAP, will open 15 beds on Tuesday for women who are ordered by a judge under a law known as Section 35 to undergo treatment for drug or alcohol dependency. An additional 30 beds are scheduled to be available at the hospital this summer.
For three decades, women committed under Section 35 have been sent to MCI-Framingham, the state prison for female inmates. Officials said Thursday that the new Taunton unit signals a shift from incarcerating addicts to offering them treatment in a secure medical setting.
“Addictions are a disease,” said Marylou Sudders, the state secretary for Health and Human Services, during a news conference at the hospital.
Unless it is an ADDICTION to MONEY!!
The opening of the Taunton unit comes amid an opioid overdose crisis that state officials say claims four lives every day in Massachusetts....
Well, that's a WRAP.
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Some are saying let them die.
Related: Where to Find Smack in Bo$ton
Also related:
Woman dragged for miles after being hit by car, police say
Pedestrian who was dragged for miles under car still hospitalized
Driver arrested after fatal hit-and-run crash
Van driver arraigned in hit-and-run death of pedestrian
Driver charged in death of Roslindale pedestrian
Man charged after pedestrian is killed on Route 9
Brockton High student struck by car as she walked to school
Trial begins in Arborway wreck that left two paralyzed
Man convicted in Arborway crash that paralyzed 2
Driver in Arborway crash that left 2 paralyzed gets jail
Time to dump this post on you and grab some lunch:
"The federal agency that monitors public health says the outbreak of E. coli illness linked to Chipotle restaurants that sickened 60 people appears to be over. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday the most recent illness reported to the agency started on Dec. 1. Although the CDC closed its investigation, the source of the illness that spread to 14 states is still unknown. Chipotle executives say they may never be able to identify what made people sick. Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. undertook an aggressive revamping of food preparation methods at its more than 1,900 locations. In December, an unrelated norovirus outbreak sickened dozens of students at Boston College."
Outbreak is over becau$e damage done:
"The E. coli outbreak that was linked to Chipotle restaurants may be over, but the burrito chain’s indigestion continues. As Chipotle reported continuing sales declines on Tuesday, the embattled chain also said the scope of a previously disclosed federal criminal investigation has widened beyond a single restaurant in California. The Denver company says sales sank 36 percent at established locations in January. That follows a previously reported drop of 14.6 percent for the October-to-December period, which marked the first quarterly decline since Chipotle went public a decade ago. Chipotle also said it has been served with another subpoena requiring it produce documents related to company-wide food safety dating back to the start of 2013."
I've lost my appetite for some reason.
UPDATE:
"Worcester couple found in squalor with kids face drug charges" by Samantha Allen Worcester Telegram & Gazette February 02, 2016
WORCESTER — The married couple charged with selling narcotics and who allegedly housed their children in a feces-strewn home were arraigned Monday.
Sheyla Montalvo, 24, and Natasha Riley-Murphy, 29, have been married for about a year, according to friends. Police said Friday night that they found the couple’s children, ages 6 and 3, living in squalor inside their apartment on King Street.
Officers said the young children were surrounded by animal feces-covered floors; and there was a reported mouse infestation in the children’s bedroom and overhead in the drop ceiling, the Worcester police said in a statement. The children’s bedroom reportedly contained a large amount of mouse feces.
“At one point a cat came out from under the sink with a live mouse in its mouth,” police reported.
Just doing it's job.
Police allegedly found a backpack that contained 99 Oxycodone pills and $3,382 cash, two bags of marijuana, and three cellphones, according to court documents. Officers allegedly discovered throughout the apartment packaging materials, two more cellphones, an additional $170 in cash, and one bag of cocaine.
More than a dozen family members and friends were in Central District Court early Monday to show support for the couple. Several said the women do not live in squalor; they said the home looked trashed and dirty only after police raided it.
Gretna Garcia, 22, Montalvo’s ex-girlfriend, said that when they lived together the woman always kept their home “immaculately” clean.
“If [Sheyla] had kept her house like that, I would have grabbed her hand and said, ‘C’mon, girl. Let’s go clean,’ ” added Felicia Victor, 25, another friend.
Montalvo’s mother Gladys Santana of Worcester, shed tears when asked about her daughter. She said they are worried about the couple’s children and how they are doing with the state Department of Children and Families. They are working to regain custody....
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Also see: DCF Cases
I see a lawsuit coming.
UPDATE: Richard ‘Dic’ Donohue to retire from Transit Police
Being rewarded for his efforts.
Also see: Names of jurors in Tsarnaev trial released
