New York man faces new charges in Christmas night crash that killed grandparents, grandson

A New York man is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday on new charges in connection with a head-on crash [1] that killed two grandparents and their 15-year-old grandson Christmas night in Somerset, the Bristol district attorney's office said.

Adam M. Gauthier, 41, is facing additional charges of manslaughter while operating under the influence and motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence of liquor, the Bristol district attorney's office said in a statement Sunday. He will be arraigned in Fall River District Court.

The new charges were filed after Donna Arruda, 68, of Seekonk, died [2] on Dec.

29 at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence because of injuries she suffered in the crash, the statement said. Her husband, Floriano Arruda, 73, and grandson, Jacoby Arruda, both of Seekonk, died within hours of the collision.

Gauthier, formerly of Somerset, had previously been arraigned Dec.

26 from his bed at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford on two counts of manslaughter while operating under the influence, two counts of motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence of liquor, and one count each of operating under the influence of liquor with serious bodily injury, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, and driving the wrong way on a state highway, the statement said.

He has since been discharged from the hospital and is being held at the Dartmouth House of Correction on £100,000 cash bail, prosecutors said.

An attorney listed in court records for Gauthier on the earlier charges did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday evening.

State Police responded to a crash involving a wrong-way driver on Veterans Memorial Bridge on Route 6 at about 11 p.m. on Christmas, the statement said.

Gauthier was allegedly driving a Range Rover eastbound in the westbound lane when he struck an Infiniti SUV head-on, according to prosecutors.

Floriano Arruda was driving the Infiniti SUV at the time of the crash, the statement said. Donna Arruda was in the front passenger seat, and Jacoby was in the rear.

All three members of the Arruda family rushed to hospitals, the statement said. Jacoby was pronounced dead on Christmas night at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, and Floriano Arruda died the following morning at Rhode Island Hospital, prosecutors said.

Gauthier was arrested shortly after the crash and was taken to St.

Luke's Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the statement said.

A third vehicle sustained front-end damage during the crash, the statement said.

The driver and passenger of that vehicle sustained minor injuries and were treated at Charlton Memorial Hospital.

The crash remains under investigation, the statement said.

Adam Sennott can be reached at [email protected][3].

References

^ head-on crash (www.bostonglobe.com)
^ died (www.bostonglobe.com)
^ [email protected] (www.bostonglobe.com)