WORCESTER — Two people were arraigned Friday on indictments related to an Oct. 29, 2016, crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Westborough that claimed the life of a 26-year-old Spencer woman.
Andrew Ledoux, 22, of Gardner was listed by police as the driver of a sport utility vehicle with six costumed occupants returning from a Halloween celebration in Salem that veered off the road and crashed into a rock ledge, killing Ashley Sheehan, who was ejected from the vehicle and struck by passing cars, according to police. Three other passengers, identified in court documents as Jason Moodley, Jeffrey Smilie and James Caulway, were seriously injured.
Ledoux was indicted Dec. 22 on charges of motor vehicle homicide, three counts of driving negligently while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and causing serious bodily injury and driving so as to endanger. Gina Corrieri, 20, of Worcester, a front-seat passenger who allegedly yanked on the steering wheel of the SUV, causing it to leave the highway and hit the ledge, was indicted on a manslaughter charge.
Both were arraigned Friday and pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Assistant District Attorney Lisa Casella told Judge Daniel M. Wrenn that the occupants of the SUV had been drinking alcohol and that Ledoux was allegedly driving erratically after leaving Salem. She said his passengers asked him to slow down or stop prior to the crash, but that he refused.
The crash occurred after Corrieri grabbed the steering wheel, according to the prosecutor. Casella said it was later determined that Ledoux had a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 percent and that Corrieri's blood-alcohol level was 0.19 percent. She said investigators also determined that the SUV was traveling at 80 to 83 mph before the crash.
Casella asked that bail for Ledoux and Corrieri be set at $5,000 cash with various conditions of release.
Ledoux's lawyer, Michael S. Hussey, said he did not oppose the conditions of release proposed by Casella, which included GPS monitoring, no driving, no contact with witnesses in the case and no use of alcohol or drugs, but asked that his client be released on his own recognizance. Hussey said Ledoux was a student at Mount Wachusett Community College, that he had not had a driver's license since the crash and that he had no criminal convictions on his record.
Corrieri's lawyer, Robert J. Iacovelli, said his client had no prior court history whatsoever, and appeared for arraignment at his request after her summons was mailed to the wrong address. Iacovelli said Corrieri could post $2,500 cash bail if the court felt bail was necessary.
Judge Wrenn released both suspects on personal recognizance with the conditions of release requested by the assistant district attorney. Their cases were continued to Feb. 6.