The driver accused of leaving the scene of a deadly crash in Methuen, Massachusetts, was drinking at multiple Halloween parties and a lounge beforehand, prosecutors said in court Monday.
On Saturday morning, a pickup truck went off Interstate 495 and slammed right into a tree, splitting it in half.
Two people were killed and two others were taken to the hospital.
The Essex District Attorney's Office said the other driver in this crash, 26-year-old Katrina Nguyen, turned herself in to Lawrence police. She's now facing several charges, including two counts of motor vehicle homicide.
According to officials, Nguyen was involved in the fatal collision that occurred shortly after 6 a.m. Saturday on I-495 northbound. She was not at the scene when first responders arrived.
Prosecutors allege that Nguyen was out at a Halloween party, then a lounge in Lawrence until closing, and then another Halloween party before the crash and had been drinking. Officers noted she smelled like alcohol when she arrived at the police station for questioning. She also had a suspended license, despite working as an Uber driver.
Ngunyen was identified as a suspect when a witness called police with the vehicle's registration information after the crash.
The witness told police that Nguyen sped past the victims' truck going 90 - 100 mph and then her vehicle turned abruptly making a sharp left turn into the pickup truck, causing it to roll over and hit the median and a tree.
Massachusetts State Police troopers and Methuen Fire personnel responded to a 911 call and found several people trapped inside the heavily-damaged pickup, which hit a tree alongside the highway.
One occupant inside the truck, a 37-year-old man, was pronounced dead on scene, officials said. Another occupant, a 41-year-old man, was taken to Lawrence General Hospital, where he died from his injuries. Their names haven't been released at this time pending family notifications.
Two other truck occupants were freed from the truck and taken to Lawrence General with non-life threatening injuries, officials said.
Nguyen's bail was set at $200,000 and conditions of release include GPS tracking and home confinement, no driving, and remaining alcohol free. She is due for a virtual pretrial hearing on Nov. 26, 2024.
