On Christmas night, two members of a Massachusetts family, including a teen, lost their lives in a devastating head-on collision allegedly caused by a drunken driver on Route 6. The fatal incident involved a Land Rover SUV that was going the wrong way and collided with two other vehicles, as reported by state police.
According to MassLive, the collision resulted in the deaths of Floriano Arruda, 73, and his grandson, Jacoby Arruda, 15, with Donna Arruda, 73, the wife of Floriano and grandmother of Jacoby, being critically injured in the crash. The family hailed from Seekonk, though initial reports mistakenly identified them as residents of Dighton.
Adam M. Gauthier, 41, formerly of Somerset and currently from New York City, is the accused driver, now facing multiple charges including manslaughter and motor vehicle homicide while under the influence. He was also taken to the hospital with injuries expected to survive, as per NBC Boston's coverage. The circumstances leading to Gauthier being on the wrong side of the road at around 11:10 p.m. on Veteran's Memorial Bridge remain under investigation.
In addition to the Arruda family, two women from Taunton were hospitalized, their condition being non-life-threatening. The identities of these two women have not been disclosed. Gauthier's arraignment is anticipated to occur from his hospital room, but as of now, it is unclear if he has legal representation to address the charges against him.
