<p>A New Hampshire man was arraigned Friday in Edgartown district court on vehicular manslaughter charges stemming from a fatal car accident on the Fourth of July.</p> <p>Thomas C. Jones, 53, of Milan, N.H., was arraigned on two counts of motor vehicle homicide and one count of negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Mr. Jones’ son, Seth, 26, and Seth’s girlfriend, Heather Laflamme, 21, were killed in the accident on Barnes Road, in which Mr. Jones was performing a U-turn in a Jeep Wrangler when the Jeep was broadsided by another car.</p>
A New Hampshire man was arraigned Friday in Edgartown district court on vehicular manslaughter charges stemming from a fatal car accident on the Fourth of July.
Thomas C. Jones, 53, of Milan, N.H., was arraigned on two counts of motor vehicle homicide and one count of negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Mr. Jones’ son, Seth, 26, and Seth’s girlfriend, Heather Laflamme, 21, were killed in the accident on Barnes Road, in which Mr. Jones was performing a U-turn in a Jeep Wrangler when the Jeep was broadsided by another car.
Mr. Jones, who was joined in the courtroom by several family members, was released on personal recognizance.
Ms. Laflamme’s parents and grandmother traveled from New Hampshire to be in the courtroom Friday, wearing T-shirts that said “In Memory of Heather Laflamme.”
According to a report by state police trooper David Parent filed in court, Mr. Jones was driving a Jeep Wrangler northbound on Barnes Road with his wife, Margaret, in the front seat, and Seth and Ms. Laflamme in the back seat. After debating whether to go to the Tisbury cemetery or the Edgartown parade, the report said, Mr. Jones moved to the right hand side of the road and made a U-turn to reverse direction.
A Volkwagen Tiguan driving behind the vehicle collided with the left side of the Jeep as it made the U-turn. Preliminary calculations for the accident indicated the Tiguan was traveling at 68 miles per hour, and the Jeep was traveling at 17 miles per hour.
Seth Jones and Ms. Laflamme were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from the vehicle, the report said, sustaining serious injuries. They were transported to hospitals off-Island. Ms. Laflamme, a rising senior and dean’s list student at the University of New Hampshire, died three days later at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Seth Jones, a Marine who served active duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, died about two weeks later at Beth Israel Hospital.
The driver of the Tiguan, Benjamin Johnson, 19, of Cambridge, sustained minor injuries. He was issued a citation for speeding.
Mr. Jones had no comment following the arraignment. A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Jan. 18.
Comments
What the paper failed to
Kim Britt Gloucester, VirginiaWhat the paper failed to mention was that Tom Jones made an ILLEGAL U-Turn, when there was a place for him to turn around 200 feet ahead of him. If they had not been arguing with the car behind them, this accident would never have happened and my cousin Heather and Seth would still be alive. I hope he gets what he deserves..I feel really bad for Tom's family.
a tragedy such as this is
gayle milan nha tragedy such as this is never easy for either side. So often when something such as this happens we ask ourselves why, we struggle with emotions, we suffer with anger, depression, guilt and much more. I hear what you are saying and validate your sorrow. But, i also know that the Jones family has done so much for so many and if they had any idea of how the day would end up i can guarantee the outcome would have been different. Both families will struggle for the rest of their lives. Everyone has a right to speak out and again i hear your voice, your words, your pain but also understand that the other family involved also has pain, and sometimes words especially those of anger need to be put aside. I too have lost someone in a horrible accident. In fact she killed a person in another vehicle due to negligent driving but also lost her own life.Maybe you say good, she got what she deserved but do any one of us always stop to think about what our actions may be? The stories and what was being said hurt the family. She was the most giving person i ever knew. But because of a choice she made her character was made to be that of a monster when in fact this person loved you when most would not. Held you close when her own life was in chaos. And a smile i will remember forever. So again, i hear you and am sorry for the loss of your cousin, but i also know of the Jones family and have seen what giving and loving people they are. So for both families, i pray for strength and peace inside.
This is so sad. This man has
debbie vineyard havenThis is so sad. This man has paid such a price for an error in judgement that most of us have all made. Since this incident I have been so cautious every time I decide to turn around and go in the opposite direction.
We have NOT all made such an
Pia Webster EdgartownWe have NOT all made such an error in judgment. That's the point. A U-turn is illegal for a reason, and you don't get to take it back. At 53 Mr. Jones certainly ought to have known better. There are reasons for speed limits as well, and Mr. Johnson will have to live with the psychological consequences of having driven 28 miles an hour over the limit for as long as he lives. Ask any police officer. There are good reasons for traffic laws, and many of us have no qualms about adhering to them. We trust the people who figured these things out.
Why did the driver of the
Karen Concord, MAWhy did the driver of the Tiguan receive only a citation for speeding? Sounds like he should have received a more severe punishment.
I would agree that the driver
John Smith ConnecticutI would agree that the driver of the Tiguan contributed to the deaths of the two young people because of his excessive speed. A collision at 40 mph would have had much less force than at 68 mph, not to mention that the collision might have been avoidable entirely at that lower speed. Both of those people might still be alive.
The aftermath of a tragedy is
Justice Plymouth, MAThe aftermath of a tragedy is a sad thing. This man lost his son and is now getting the book thrown at him. We need to remember, he didn't do this on purpose. It was a terrible accident. I think there is something strange in the fact that the speeding car driver only gets charged with speeding. Sixty eight miles an hour killed two people as far as I can see here. Yes, an idiot made a U-turn, but if this jackass wasn't flying down the road, there may not have been any deaths involved in this accident. If the Tiguan had been doing the speed limit, would the two people be alive today? If there is a good chance that they would be, then this speeding fool is surely to blame for their deaths.
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