Authorities to seek charges against West Roxbury teen for Arborway crash

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) – An 18-year-old West Roxbury man will face charges in connection to a crash on the Arborway that left him and five others injured, two of them critically, authorities said Wednesday.

Authorities will seek complaint charging Nikolas Papadopoulos with the criminal offense of negligent operation of a motor vehicle and civil offense of speeding, failing to ensure that two passengers under 16 were wearing seat belts, and unsafely crossing the road's lane marking, all in connection with the Sept. 6 crash.

Authorities said Papadopoulos was not operating under the influence or using a cell phone at the time of the crash; however, they have not ruled out additional charges.

Evidence suggests Papadopoulos was traveling westbound on the state roadway at speeds of up to 80 mph when the car he was driving jumped the median near St. Joseph Street and began to roll, colliding with a pickup truck heading eastbound.

At the time of the crash, Papadopoulos had three passengers: one 14-year-old from Chestnut Hill, another 14-year-old from West Roxbury, and a 15-year-old also from West Roxbury. While all four are currently expected to survive, the 14-year-old from Chestnut Hill sustained life-altering injuries to the brain and spine after being ejected from the vehicle. Neither he nor the other 14-year-old was wearing his seat belt.

The driver of the pickup truck, a 33-year-old Dorchester man, was also critically injured and remains in a medically-induced coma at Brigham and Women's Hospital. His passenger, a 34-year-old from Quincy, has been released with less serious injuries. Both men were wearing seat belts.

Papadopoulos remains hospitalized at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He will be summonsed to West Roxbury District Court for arraignment at a future date.

Cox Media Group