Seekonk teen Jacoby Arruda and grandfather killed by accused drunk, wrong-way driver in Somerset
SOMERSET - A 15-year-old boy from Seekonk and his grandfather were killed late Christmas night in Somerset by a wrong-way driver who was drunk, prosecutors said Tuesday.
According to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, 73-year-old Floriano Arruda of Seekonk was driving an SUV on a bridge on Route 6 just after 11 p.m. Monday when it was hit head-on by a Land Rover.
Arruda and his 15-year-old grandson Jacoby Arruda were killed. Arruda's wife, 68-year-old Donna Arruda, was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence where she was in critical condition Tuesday.
The driver of the Land Rover, 41-year-old Adam Gauthier of New York City, was arrested. He's facing several charges, including manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, drunk driving and driving the wrong way on a state highway. He spent the night at Saint Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and is being treated for what the D.A. said were "non-life-threatening injuries."
Gauthier was arraigned from his hospital bed Tuesday afternoon. He was ordered held on $100,000 cash bail.
Prosecutors said Gauthier, who once lived in Somerset, was driving his SUV eastbound on the westbound side of the Veteran's Memorial Bridge when he crashed into the Arrudas in their Infiniti SUV. Donna Arruda was in the front passenger seat and her grandson was in the back seat at the time of the crash.
Jacoby Arruda died Monday night at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River. His grandfather died Tuesday morning at Rhode Island Hospital.
The teen's uncle, Josh Arruda, told WBZ-TV the grandparents had custody of Jacoby and they were all headed home from a Christmas event when they were hit.
"This is a terrible tragedy, especially when it occurred on Christmas night. My heart grieves for the victims and their family for their terrible loss," District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a statement.
A third car was also hit in the crash. The driver and passenger were treated at Charlton Memorial Hospital for minor injuries, according to the D.A.