New York man accused of manslaughter for fatal crash

A 44-year-old Hebron man who allegedly caused a crash on July 20 that killed a Massachusetts woman was charged with manslaughter on Aug. 22. Police believe that he was trying to commit suicide when he caused the crash.

He is charged with second-degree manslaughter, which is a felony. A 43-year-old from North Adams, Massachusetts, died after suffering catastrophic injuries in the crash. Approximately five others were hurt, including a man who was a passenger in the woman's vehicle and who is still undergoing medical treatment. According to the man's public defender, he did not tell authorities that he was trying to attempt suicide. The attorney also said that his client was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the fatal accident and was driving a larger vehicle than the one he collided with. He stated that these facts don't correlate with the investigators' premise of attempted suicide.

Police say that the three cars involved in the collision were traveling southbound when the Hebron man, behind the wheel of an Infiniti sport-utility vehicle, crossed into the northbound lane and hit the Massachusetts woman's Kia Rio hatchback. Police also claim that drugs and alcohol weren't a factor in the accident. The man was charged with manslaughter after police learned that he had allegedly made comments about trying to commit suicide to a medical provider. He faces up to 15 years in prison.