Accused Drugged Driver Held Without Bail For Fatal Bridgewater Crash
BROCKTON (CBS) - An accused drugged driver with a lengthy criminal record who is charged with motor vehicle homicide was held without bail Friday following a Bridgewater crash that killed a Brockton man.
Anthony Hathaway, 29, of Whitman, is facing numerous charges in the fatal crash that killed Richard Silva, 71, of Brockton. The crash occurred on Bedford Street, or Route 18, in Bridgewater around 11:50 a.m. Thursday.
"This was one of the most gruesome I've seen, just an image you never get out of your head," said Richard Ellis, who witnessed the crash.
During Hathaway's arraignment in Brockton District Court, prosecutors said Hathaway has an 11-page criminal record that includes 27 convictions, 45 violations of probation and a history of drug use over a 10-year period.
Hathaway was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Aug. 24.
Bridgewater Police said Hathaway, the driver of a Toyota Camry, tried to pass a car by driving into oncoming traffic and hit Silva head-on, killing him.
Prosecutors detailed the police report in court, saying Hathaway first told officers he was not under the influence. He also allegedly told police that he didn't know what happened but didn't think the motorcycle was involved at all, while surveillance video shows the opposite, prosecutors said.
Witnesses describe a horrifying scene and say when they rushed to help, Hathaway had no idea what was going on.
"Poor guy is just out on his bike for a ride, gets hit and killed," Ellis said.
"See a car coming at me, and I didn't know which way to go," said witness Paul Mancinalli, who was working outside Bridgewater Auto Body when a car came barreling toward him. It only stopped when it hit a parked SUV.
"Thank God there was another vehicle out there that stopped the car or I probably wouldn't be standing," said Mancinalli.
Dawn Berio of Bridgewater said the fatal crash will forever alter the lives of a lot of people, including Hathaway.
"Not only is it going to affect him, it's going to affect everybody here (in Bridgewater). It's going to affect the man who was killed and his family, the little boy that was in the car, the girlfriend. It's going to affect everybody. It's a domino affect," Berio said.
