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West Roxbury —
A Newton man with a long history of driving offenses was arraigned this morning on motor vehicle homicide charges stemming from the death of Catholic Memorial student Francis McInerney on VFW Parkway this summer, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a press release.
Zyoma Vasserman, 48, is also charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle and the civil infraction of speeding, all in connection with the 17-year-old West Roxbury youth’s death on the night of June 14, 2011.
Vasserman, who works at a Dedham body shop where the car he was driving was registered, was released without bail. At prosecutors’ request, however, West Roxbury District Court Judge Kathleen Coffey ordered him to surrender his driver’s license while the case is pending.
Vasserman’s attorney, Melvin Norris of Wayland, said this afternoon, “It’s a sad situation. My client, according to the information we have, was not negligent and he’s pled not guilty.”
“My client has a good defense for the case,” Norris added. “The releases (on Vasserman’s driving offenses) they are putting out are very prejudicial. Most of the cases have been dismissed … and were civil infractions.”
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Devlin said McInerney and a group of friends had just crossed the southbound lane of traffic at about 9:20 p.m. back in June and were crossing the northbound lane from the median strip when Vasserman’s vehicle struck him, according to the press release.
The rising senior suffered fatal injuries in the crash and died at Brigham and Women’s Hospital later that night. Vasserman remained at the scene and showed no signs of intoxication when interviewed by Massachusetts State Police, according to the press release.
State troopers assigned to Conley’s office and members of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section investigated the collision. That investigation – which included reviewing surveillance footage from multiple cameras along Vasserman’s route – revealed that Vasserman was traveling at speeds up to 59 mph as he traveled toward the scene of the collision, according to the press release. The posted speed limit in that area is 30 mph, prosecutors said.
Norris said he had not yet seen the report and could not comment on it.
Vasserman’s driving record dates back to 1982, according to the press release, and includes traffic violations in Auburn, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Needham and Newton, along with speeding citations in downtown Boston, Brighton, Brookline, Canton and Dorchester.
Joe McGonegal, spokesman for Catholic Memorial, said the school had no comment on the developments in the case.
Vasserman will return to court on Feb. 21.
A Newton man with a long history of driving offenses was arraigned this morning on motor vehicle homicide charges stemming from the death of Catholic Memorial student Francis McInerney on VFW Parkway this summer, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a press release.
Zyoma Vasserman, 48, is also charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle and the civil infraction of speeding, all in connection with the 17-year-old West Roxbury youth’s death on the night of June 14, 2011.
Vasserman, who works at a Dedham body shop where the car he was driving was registered, was released without bail. At prosecutors’ request, however, West Roxbury District Court Judge Kathleen Coffey ordered him to surrender his driver’s license while the case is pending.
Vasserman’s attorney, Melvin Norris of Wayland, said this afternoon, “It’s a sad situation. My client, according to the information we have, was not negligent and he’s pled not guilty.”
“My client has a good defense for the case,” Norris added. “The releases (on Vasserman’s driving offenses) they are putting out are very prejudicial. Most of the cases have been dismissed … and were civil infractions.”
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Devlin said McInerney and a group of friends had just crossed the southbound lane of traffic at about 9:20 p.m. back in June and were crossing the northbound lane from the median strip when Vasserman’s vehicle struck him, according to the press release.
The rising senior suffered fatal injuries in the crash and died at Brigham and Women’s Hospital later that night. Vasserman remained at the scene and showed no signs of intoxication when interviewed by Massachusetts State Police, according to the press release.
State troopers assigned to Conley’s office and members of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section investigated the collision. That investigation – which included reviewing surveillance footage from multiple cameras along Vasserman’s route – revealed that Vasserman was traveling at speeds up to 59 mph as he traveled toward the scene of the collision, according to the press release. The posted speed limit in that area is 30 mph, prosecutors said.
Norris said he had not yet seen the report and could not comment on it.
Vasserman’s driving record dates back to 1982, according to the press release, and includes traffic violations in Auburn, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Needham and Newton, along with speeding citations in downtown Boston, Brighton, Brookline, Canton and Dorchester.
Joe McGonegal, spokesman for Catholic Memorial, said the school had no comment on the developments in the case.
Vasserman will return to court on Feb. 21.
