A Massachusetts man has been arrested and charged after a dirt bike crash in Thompson last December that killed one of his friends.
He and another dirt bike rider collided head-on in Quaddick State Forest on Dec. 23 and 22-year-old Steven Zografos, of Oxford, Massachusetts, died at the scene after the crash, according to state police.
Both dirt bike riders had been doing wheelies and were heading toward each other and were thrown from the bikes when they collided, according to state police.
Witnesses told investigators that several dirt bike riders had been doing burnouts and wheelies, which caused a cloud of dust that made it difficult to see, according to the arrest warrant.
A 22-year-old Brookfield, Massachusetts man turned himself in to state police last Thursday and he has been charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs, illegal operation of a motor vehicle without insurance and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.
According to the arrest warrant, he admitted to drinking a couple of beers and smoking “a joint” before driving the dirt bike but did not think he was over the limit.
He told police that Zografos was a friend, that he was dusty and he might not have seen him before the crash.
He also told investigators that he thought they were going around 30 to 40 miles per hour and the last thing he remembered was waking up two or three days later in the hospital, the warrant says.
Police said the posted speed limit in the area is 20 miles per hour.
He was released on a $40,000 bond and is scheduled to appear at Danielson Superior Court on Dec. 3.
