Boston Injury Lawyer Blog
A North Carolina man was charged with the death of a woman from Hudson after an accident that took place in May. Following his hearing in Central District Court on Monday however, he was released on personal recognizance. 62 year old Gary Shray from Oriental, North Carolina has described the occurrence that claimed 24 year old Sarah Ewing’s life as a “freak accident”.
The accident took place on May 14th of this year in Worcester’s Kelley Square. Gary Shray, a truck driver, was operating an 18 wheeler vehicle for Ocean Star Transportation (based out of East Hartford, Connecticut) when he pulled over onto the side of Millbury Street in order to let a firetruck pass by him. Once the firetruck had passed him, Shray had attempted to take a right turn onto the Interstate 290 ramp when his vehicle hit the curb and proceeded to knock over a stop sign and a street lamp. Sarah Ewing and a 25 year old male identified as Joseph Meszaro of Oxford, who was a friend of Ms. Ewing, jumped forward in order to avoid being struck by the falling street lamp. It was at this time that Sarah Ewing became wedged in the wheels of Gary Shray’s 18 wheeler truck. She would later succumb to her injuries, but the extent and severity of these injuries has not been disclosed. Her friend, Joseph Meszaro, suffered injuries to his feet and is still currently in recovery from these wounds.
Gary Shray tested negative for alcohol and drugs upon investigation into the matter. He maintains that it really was an accident, and he expressed remorse and grief about what has happened. “You know, I am truly sorry.” He did not provide any further comments regarding the accident and later requested a court-appointed lawyer for his hearing at Central District Court this past Monday.
Ms. Ewing’s mother, Brenna Ewing, and assistant district attorney Ryan P. Donahue have both requested that Gary Shray’s license be suspended for the duration of the case. Mr. Shray’s attorney, however, is asking for his client’s license to remain active in Mr. Shray’s native state of North Carolina. Defense attorney William Johnson has stated that Gary Shray’s license should remain active so that Mr. Shray may continue working part-time in North Carolina while the matter is ongoing, seeing as Gary Shray lost his previous job after the accident. Brenna Ewing doesn’t support this notion—saying that she doesn’t want Gary Shray to have access to a motor vehicle either in North Carolina or Massachusetts. She wants the man that killed her daughter to be held responsible for his actions. Mrs. Ewing has said that she would feel “disappointed” if Gary Shray did not lose his license.
Attorney William Johnson has said that his client had been lost in Worcester at the time this occurred, stating that Mr. Shray was using his GPS in order to find a clear route back onto his track and was unfamiliar with the immediate area. The judge hearing the case, Paul A. Losapio, was the one who ruled that Gary Shray be released on personal recognizance before his next scheduled hearing, which is to take place on September 18th of this year. Judge Losapio went on to say that the matter of Mr. Shray’s license suspension should be taken up by the registry of motor vehicles for Massachusetts and North Carolina as he was suspending Mr. Shray’s license in Massachusetts while the case is ongoing.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation had issued a statement saying that they would allow Gary Shray’s license to remain valid in their state unless and until he had reached a verdict of guilty for motor vehicle homicide in the death of Sarah Ewing. The spokesman, Steve Abbott, has said that while Mr. Shray’s license will remain valid in the state of North Carolina, the suspension of license in Massachusetts would prevent Mr. Shray from renewing his license during the duration of that suspension.
While the preliminary statements provided by Gary Shray indicate that this could indeed have been a “freak” accident and nothing further, Sarah Ewing’s mother Brenna wants there to be justice for her daughter. She has said that Sarah’s death has been “excruciatingly painful” for herself and Sarah’s family, including her fiancé and high school sweetheart Michael Barbosa. “She shouldn’t have died,” Mrs. Ewing has said. A sentiment that can be agreed upon by all parties involved.
This seems to be a freak accident at this point, we will see how the investigation unfolds. If you have been a victim of a truck accident, give one of our Boston injury lawyers a call to discuss your potential claim and allow our experienced attorneys to provide you with a free case consultation.
Quotes and additional information can be found at the following links: http://www.telegram.com/article/20150727/NEWS/150729269/-1/corrections
http://www.wcvb.com/news/north-carolina-trucker-charged-in-hudson-womans-death/34393672
