Brockton Man Held Without Bail In Deadly Hit And Run; DA Says He Left Victim 'Suffering In The Road'
BROCKTON (CBS) - The man charged in a hit-and-run crash in Brockton that killed a 72-year-old woman was arraigned in court on Friday and will be held without bail until his next hearing on Nov. 24. Thirty-three-year-old Michael Blanche hid his face from cameras during his court appearance on Friday, during which prosecutors accused Blanche of not only killing 72-year-old Marie Rose Bienaime but also trying to cover up the crash.
At about 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, police found Bienaime unresponsive in the area of 259 Pleasant St. She was brought to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Blanche was arrested Thursday after police located the car believed to be involved in the crash behind an abandoned home. Investigators identified the green vehicle from surveillance video taken near the scene.
The district attorney says the victim hit the windshield of Blanche's vehicle. When police found the car involved, there was a tarp on it, in an apparent attempt to hide the car.
Blanche allegedly confessed to police that he knew he hit her.
"Somebody who knowingly strikes a 72-year-old woman, who leaves her suffering in the road, I mean, you won't get much more cowardly than that," said Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz.
Marc Bieniame, one of Marie Rose Bienaime's 11 children, was at the courthouse on Friday.
"What I would say to the driver is, 'Why do you go that fast?'" Bieniame said. "If you struck somebody, you have to stop and say, 'How can I help?'"
Blanche, who hid his face in court, is charged with leaving the scene of a crash causing death, negligent motor vehicle homicide, speeding, failure to yield and operating a motor vehicle after suspension.
