Suspect in robbery, fatal wrong-way crash that killed 19-year-old held without bail
William Leger, 35, of Somerville, pleaded not guilty to several charges including vehicular homicide by reckless operation and unarmed robbery during his arraignment. Ashley Forward.
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William Leger, 35, of Somerville, pleaded not guilty to several charges including vehicular homicide by reckless operation and unarmed robbery during the arraignment, according to a statement from Essex district attorney’s office.
He was held pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for June 17.
Authorities say Leger robbed a convenience story on Wednesday, then while fleeing in a stolen vehicle south on the northbound lanes of Route 107 in Saugus, crashed head-on into another vehicle. Police had already broken off pursuit.
After driving for about a half-mile, Leger allegedly hit the other car on Route 107, police said. The person who died was driving the other car and died at the scene of the crash; police said she was 19 but haven t yet identified her.
Leger was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police, and state troopers are seeking charges against him.
A worker at the store confirmed to NBC10 Boston they had been robbed before the crash. No one was hurt in the robbery. And workers at a nearby auto shop said the person who died in the crash was a young woman and that the other driver was running from police.
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Update: Family members have identified the 19-year-old woman who died as Ashley Forward, of Lynn, according to 7News and multipleother stations.
Forward just finished her freshman year at Emmanuel College and wanted to become a nurse, 7News reports. She was en route to visit her grandmother at the time of the crash, according to the report.
UPDATE: Family identifies 19-year-old woman killed in wrong-way crash with robbery suspect in Saugus https://t.co/WIuWFBvkdZpic.twitter.com/8VZ6nUWzcO 7News Boston WHDH (@7News) June 9, 2021
19-year-old Ashley Forward of Lynn was killed when police say a robbery suspect crashed into her car in Saugus pic.twitter.com/3grkq2ezGv WBZ | CBS Boston News (@wbz) June 9, 2021