Lawyer for Waltham crash victim’s family calls suspect a ‘habitual offender’
A lawyer for the family of Roderick Jackson[1], the utility worker officials said was killed along with a police officer[2] when a man drove a truck into a work site in Waltham[3] last week, wants to know how the crash[4] suspect came to be in a position where he was able to cause a crash given his criminal history[5].
New Hampshire[6] resident Peter Simon, 54, is facing charges including manslaughter[7] for the Dec.
6 crash, which killed Jackson, a 36-year-old Cambridge resident, and 58-year-old Waltham[8] Police Officer Paul Tracey. But according to court records[9], Simon was previously charged in connection with at least two different car crashes in New Hampshire.
Simon is now accused of driving a truck into a National Grid work site on Totten Pond Road[10] where Jackson was working as an employee and Tracey was working a police detail. He pleaded not guilty to all charges[11] last week and was held without bail.
"The man accused of killing Mr. Roderick Jackson and Officer Paul J.
Tracey is a habitual offender who should have never been in the position to take the lives of these two beloved members of our community," Attorney Thomas Flaws, who is representing Jackson's family, said in a statement.
In 2009, Simon led police on a car chase through Keene and hit a public bus head-on, The Brattleboro Reformer reported[13]. The crash seriously injured a passenger, and Simon was criminally[14] charged.
But in 2011, Simon successfully pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and was reportedly sentenced to five years in a psychiatric ward in a state prison, the Reformer reported. At the time, his lawyer told the newspaper his client had a dissociative disorder and needed to be on medication, but that he was remorseful about the crash.
In 2016, Simon was again arrested in New Hampshire and faced a slew of charges for causing another crash and then strangling a man, Patch.com[15] reported[16].
This time, Simon pleaded guilty to half the charges, including aggravated DUI, second-degree assault and criminal threatening, according to court records.
Simon was sentenced to several years in prison after this incident, but it is unclear how long he was actually incarcerated for. He also had his license revoked and was ordered to complete an impaired driver care management program, according to court records.
At the time of the Dec.
6 crash, Simon, who is now a Woodsville resident, did not have a valid license[18].
"The system failed these two innocent men, and we intend to seek civil justice to the fullest to avenge Mr. Jackson's tragic passing, which we hope can bring some semblance of peace to the Jackson family in due time," Flaws said in the statement.
It is unclear how Flaws might "seek civil justice" in this case.
Jackson is remembered as a "selfless" man[19] who was the "heart of his family." His mother, Norma Asprilla, told news outlets last week that she wanted to see Simon "behind bars" and that what he did was "unforgivable."
A GoFundMe has been created to benefit Jackson's family[21], and another fundraiser is collecting money on behalf of all the victims[22] and their families.
References
- ^ Roderick Jackson (www.masslive.com)
- ^ along with a police officer (www.masslive.com)
- ^ a man drove a truck into a work site in Waltham (www.masslive.com)
- ^ crash (www.masslive.com)
- ^ his criminal history (www.masslive.com)
- ^ New Hampshire (www.masslive.com)
- ^ is facing charges including manslaughter (www.masslive.com)
- ^ Waltham (www.masslive.com)
- ^ according to court records (www.masslive.com)
- ^ driving a truck into a National Grid work site on Totten Pond Road (www.masslive.com)
- ^ He pleaded not guilty to all charges (www.masslive.com)
- ^ Funeral plans announced for Waltham officer killed in double fatal crash (www.masslive.com)
- ^ The Brattleboro Reformer reported (www.reformer.com)
- ^ criminally (www.masslive.com)
- ^ Patch.com (patch.com)
- ^ reported (patch.com)
- ^ Flags in Mass. to fly at half-staff in honor of National Grid employee, Waltham officer (www.masslive.com)
- ^ did not have a valid license (www.masslive.com)
- ^ Jackson is remembered as a "selfless" man (www.masslive.com)
- ^ United Steelworkers mourn National Grid employee killed in Waltham crash (www.masslive.com)
- ^ GoFundMe has been created to benefit Jackson's family (www.masslive.com)
- ^ fundraiser is collecting money on behalf of all the victims (www.masslive.com)