Northbridge woman arraigned in hit-and-run crash that killed N.H. innkeeper
Craig S. Semon, Worcester Telegram & GazetteNovember 30, 2023 at 7:02 PM
WORCESTER - A 35-year-old Northbridge woman accused of striking a motorcyclist last year after leaving a marijuana dispensary pleaded not guilty Thursday in Worcester Superior Court to charges of manslaughter and motor vehicle homicide. Scott M.
Reed - the motorcyclist the woman allegedly ran into with her vehicle before leaving the scene - succumbed to his injuries May 1, more than 10 months after the crash, according to court documents. According to his obituary[1], Reed, 57, of Sunapee, New Hampshire, died peacefully after a long struggle in UMass Memorial Hospital.
A 1988 Worcester Polytechnic Institute graduate with a degree in mathematics, Reed was an IT executive at The Hartford, MassMutual and AIG. He was married for 34 years.
In 2015, Reed and his wife, Jennifer, bought the Inn at Pleasant Lake in New London, New Hampshire; in 2020, they bought the New London Inn in the same town. The couple had two children. Reed is also survived by his mother, a brother, a sister, as well as many nieces and nephews.
A hit-and-run crash with personal injuries involving a car and a motorcycle was reported to police around 5:30 p.m. June 11, 2022, on Route 146 in Uxbridge. Reports of a gray Honda Pilot with significant damage fled the scene traveling north.
Soon after, the Northbridge police located the SUV on Border and B streets in their town. Police identified the driver as Marissa Mendes, 35, of the Whitinsville section of Northbridge. The vehicle had heavy driver-side damage and a flat left front tire, and the driver's side airbags were deployed, according to Trooper Kenneth R.
Hanchett, assigned to the Millbury barracks. Hanchett reported that while speaking to Mendes, he detected a "strong odor" of alcohol emanating from her breath and described her eyes "to be glassy and slightly bloodshot." Mendes told the trooper she had just left Caroline's Cannabis in Uxbridge and that the SUV that she was driving had been struck by another vehicle as she was pulling out of the parking lot, according to the trooper's report.
Mendes said she was then struck by another vehicle on Route 146 but didn't pull over, Hanchett's report states. When asked if she was on any medications or had consumed any alcohol, Mendes told the trooper that she was on depression medication and had consumed five "nips" of Jim Beam, according to the trooper's report. Mendes said she had consumed the nips three to four hours prior at her house, the trooper's report stated.
Several witnesses to the crash described Mendes' vehicle as the one that struck the motorcycle and fled the scene. At least one witness provided the license plate for Mendes' vehicle and another took a photo of her car at the accident scene using his phone, according to the trooper's report. "The weather was pleasant, with no noticeable wind and it was dry," according to Hanchett's report.
Two tests came up with a blood alcohol level of 0.16, or twice the legal limit, while several sobriety tests indicated "impairment," he reported. Mendes was arraigned Thursday on charges of manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol, motor vehicle homicide by driving under the influence or reckless driving, leaving the scene of personal injury or death, motor vehicle homicide by negligent operations and driving under the influence of alcohol. A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf by Judge Janet Kenton-Walker.
Bail was set at £5,000 surety, £500 cash. Conditions of the defendant's release include remaining drug and alcohol free (which includes no marijuana), random screenings and refraining from driving. Mendes is due back in court Dec.
15 for a pretrial hearing.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Marissa Mendes charged in crash that killed Scott Reed of Sunapee[2]
References
- ^ his obituary (www.legacy.com)
- ^ Marissa Mendes charged in crash that killed Scott Reed of Sunapee (www.telegram.com)