Driver Charged In JP Arborway Crash That Injured Six

BOSTON (CBS) --- The driver police say caused a crash on the Arborway in Jamaica Plain that injured six people, is facing criminal charges.

The crash happened earlier this month and left two people with life-altering injuries.

Police say Nikolas Papadopoulos, 18, of West Roxbury, was driving about 80 miles an hour in his 2003 Mazda Tribute when it jumped the median strip near St. Joseph Street, rolled and collided with a 2004 Food F-150 pick-up truck headed eastbound.

Police say at the time of the crash, Papadopoulos had three passengers: one 14-year-old from Chestnut Hill, another 14-year-old from West Roxbury, and a 15-year-old also from West Roxbury.

While all four are expected to survive, the 14-year-old from Chestnut Hill sustained life-altering injuries to the brain and spine after being ejected from the vehicle.

Neither he nor the other 14-year-old was wearing his seat belt, according to State Police.

The operator of the Ford, a 33-year-old Dorchester man, was also critically injured and remains in a medically-induced coma at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

His passenger, a 34-year-old Quincy resident, has been released from the hospital. Both men in the Ford were wearing seat belts.

Papadopoulos remains hospitalized at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

He will be summonsed to West Roxbury District Court for arraignment on a future date. He's charged with negligent driving, speeding, failure to obey seat belt laws and unsafely crossing the road's lane markings.

State Police say Papadopoulos is not accused of operating under the influence or using a cell phone at the time of the crash but did not rule out additional charges as further information comes to light.

"At this stage in the investigation, we believe the defendant's excessive speed was the primary factor," Conley said. "This was an avoidable tragedy. It didn't have to happen."