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NOT EXACTLY FRANKS BEST PHOTO!!
Teen charged in fatal hit-runPolice trace car to Dracut home
By ROBERT MILLS, Sun Staff
LOWELL -- A 19-year-old Dracut man who starred for the basketball team during his years at Dracut High School was arrested last night and charged with the June 3 hit-and-run death of a 56-year-old Vietnam veteran from Lowell.
Efrain “Frank” Otero, of 16 Heritage Road, was arrested after he voluntarily went to the Lowell police station with detectives who had tracked the vehicle involved in the crash to his home, police said.
Otero is accused of being behind the wheel of an eastbound 1999 Honda Accord that struck Lawrence “Larry” Maple, of 200 Mass Mills Drive,
Lowell, a little after 10 p.m. on June 3 while Maple tried to walk across VFW Highway at Bridge Street.
“At this point there is no evidence that drugs or alcohol was involved,” Detective Lt. Randall Humphrey said.
Police have said Maple was thrown about 100 feet by the impact, landing on the opposite side of the intersection.
Otero continued driving after the accident, police said.
Maple was flown to Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, where he died the next day.
Humphrey said detectives had obtained a description and license-plate number of a vehicle potentially involved in the accident, and last night went to the 16 Heritage Road address where it was registered. he officers noticed that the Honda's windshield had been replaced and saw damage to the front of the car, Humphrey said. Police had found the windshield that was on the car at the time of the crash earlier in their investigation at Nashua and Willowdale roads in Dracut.
Otero, the car's registered owner, voluntarily returned to the police station for questioning and was charged a short time later, Humphrey said. The Honda was seized and taken back to the Lowell police station for processing.
Otero was a star basketball player for Dracut High before he graduated last year, and made The Sun basketball all-star team as a senior.
He is charged with misdemeanor motor-vehicle homicide, a felony count of leaving the scene of a personal-injury accident (causing death), and failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, police said. At the request of police, Otero was ordered held on $1,000 cash bail, but posted that bail last night and returned home.
A man who answered the telephone at Otero's home declined to comment.
Maple was a self-employed painter and Vietnam War veteran who was born and raised in New York state. He served in the Army during the war and received the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal for his service there, according to his obituary. He had no children and his wife is deceased, according to his obituary.
Otero will be arraigned this morning in Lowell District Court.
He faces a minimum of one year and a maximum of 10 years in prison if he's convicted of leaving the scene of a personal-injury accident (causing death). He faces another 2 1/2 years in prison if convicted of misdemeanor motor-vehicle homicide.
Ex-basketball star pleads innocent in fatal hit-and-run
By LISA REDMOND, Sun Staff
LOWELL -- A former Dracut High School basketball star admitted to police he panicked and drove away after a June 3 pedestrian accident that killed a 56-year-old Vietnam veteran from Lowell, police say.
Wearing a black shirt and tie in Lowell District Court yesterday, Efrain “Frank'' Otero, 19, pleaded innocent to charges of misdemeanor motor-vehicle homicide, felony leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury or death and a crosswalk violation.
Lowell District Court Judge Michael Brooks released Otero on $1,000 cash bail with the condition that he stay out of any further legal trouble, surrender his driver's license and refrain from driving. Otero and his attorney, Neil Faigel, left the courthouse without comment, but according to court documents, Otero wasn't surprised when Lowell police knocked on his door.
Otero, of 16 Heritage Road, surrendered to Lowell police Tuesday after detectives tracked the vehicle involved in the crash to his home. Police say Otero was driving his 1999 Honda Accord when he struck Lawrence Maple, of 200 Mass Mills Drive, Lowell, shortly after 10 p.m., on June 3 as Maple tried to cross the VFW Highway at Bridge Street in Lowell.
Maple was thrown about 100 feet by the impact, landing on the opposite side of the intersection. Maple, a widower with no children, was flown to Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, where he died the next day.
Maple served in the Army during the war, receiving the national Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal, according to his obituary.
Police say Otero fled the scene, but officers got the car's description and a license-plate number of the vehicle believed to be involved in the accident.
When police arrived at Otero's 16 Heritage Road address, they found the 1999 green Honda sedan with the damage to the left side of the hood, according to court documents. There were shards of glass on the dashboard. Police say when officers asked Otero if he knew why they were there, he stated, “Yes.''
In a taped statement, Otero admitted to striking Maples and leaving the scene because “he panicked and didn't know what to do.''
The Honda was seized and taken to the Lowell police station for processing.
Otero was a star basketball player for Dracut High before he graduated last year. He made The Sun basketball all-star team as a senior.
He is scheduled to return to court on July 27 for a pretrial conference.
FRANK IS ONE OF MY GOOD FRIENDS SEEING THIS SHOCKED ME, HES WOULD NEVER KILL OR HURT INTENTIALLY,WHEN EVER IWAS WITH OR AROUND FRANK HE WAS HAPPY JOKING AND HYPER-- THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT THAT HAD A TRAGIC END-- FRANKS DREAMS OF WORKING IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE DO TO THIS ARE CRUSHED... FRANK YOUR FRIENDS/FAMILY/TEAM WILL ALWAYS BE THERE AND SUPPORT YOU NO ONE KNOWS YOU BETTER CHEER UP!! MUCH LOVE
NOT EXACTLY FRANKS BEST PHOTO!!
Teen charged in fatal hit-runPolice trace car to Dracut home
By ROBERT MILLS, Sun Staff
LOWELL -- A 19-year-old Dracut man who starred for the basketball team during his years at Dracut High School was arrested last night and charged with the June 3 hit-and-run death of a 56-year-old Vietnam veteran from Lowell.
Efrain “Frank” Otero, of 16 Heritage Road, was arrested after he voluntarily went to the Lowell police station with detectives who had tracked the vehicle involved in the crash to his home, police said.
Otero is accused of being behind the wheel of an eastbound 1999 Honda Accord that struck Lawrence “Larry” Maple, of 200 Mass Mills Drive,
Lowell, a little after 10 p.m. on June 3 while Maple tried to walk across VFW Highway at Bridge Street.
“At this point there is no evidence that drugs or alcohol was involved,” Detective Lt. Randall Humphrey said.
Police have said Maple was thrown about 100 feet by the impact, landing on the opposite side of the intersection.
Otero continued driving after the accident, police said.
Maple was flown to Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, where he died the next day.
Humphrey said detectives had obtained a description and license-plate number of a vehicle potentially involved in the accident, and last night went to the 16 Heritage Road address where it was registered. he officers noticed that the Honda's windshield had been replaced and saw damage to the front of the car, Humphrey said. Police had found the windshield that was on the car at the time of the crash earlier in their investigation at Nashua and Willowdale roads in Dracut.
Otero, the car's registered owner, voluntarily returned to the police station for questioning and was charged a short time later, Humphrey said. The Honda was seized and taken back to the Lowell police station for processing.
Otero was a star basketball player for Dracut High before he graduated last year, and made The Sun basketball all-star team as a senior.
He is charged with misdemeanor motor-vehicle homicide, a felony count of leaving the scene of a personal-injury accident (causing death), and failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, police said. At the request of police, Otero was ordered held on $1,000 cash bail, but posted that bail last night and returned home.
A man who answered the telephone at Otero's home declined to comment.
Maple was a self-employed painter and Vietnam War veteran who was born and raised in New York state. He served in the Army during the war and received the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal for his service there, according to his obituary. He had no children and his wife is deceased, according to his obituary.
Otero will be arraigned this morning in Lowell District Court.
He faces a minimum of one year and a maximum of 10 years in prison if he's convicted of leaving the scene of a personal-injury accident (causing death). He faces another 2 1/2 years in prison if convicted of misdemeanor motor-vehicle homicide.
Ex-basketball star pleads innocent in fatal hit-and-run
By LISA REDMOND, Sun Staff
LOWELL -- A former Dracut High School basketball star admitted to police he panicked and drove away after a June 3 pedestrian accident that killed a 56-year-old Vietnam veteran from Lowell, police say.
Wearing a black shirt and tie in Lowell District Court yesterday, Efrain “Frank'' Otero, 19, pleaded innocent to charges of misdemeanor motor-vehicle homicide, felony leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury or death and a crosswalk violation.
Lowell District Court Judge Michael Brooks released Otero on $1,000 cash bail with the condition that he stay out of any further legal trouble, surrender his driver's license and refrain from driving. Otero and his attorney, Neil Faigel, left the courthouse without comment, but according to court documents, Otero wasn't surprised when Lowell police knocked on his door.
Otero, of 16 Heritage Road, surrendered to Lowell police Tuesday after detectives tracked the vehicle involved in the crash to his home. Police say Otero was driving his 1999 Honda Accord when he struck Lawrence Maple, of 200 Mass Mills Drive, Lowell, shortly after 10 p.m., on June 3 as Maple tried to cross the VFW Highway at Bridge Street in Lowell.
Maple was thrown about 100 feet by the impact, landing on the opposite side of the intersection. Maple, a widower with no children, was flown to Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, where he died the next day.
Maple served in the Army during the war, receiving the national Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal, according to his obituary.
Police say Otero fled the scene, but officers got the car's description and a license-plate number of the vehicle believed to be involved in the accident.
When police arrived at Otero's 16 Heritage Road address, they found the 1999 green Honda sedan with the damage to the left side of the hood, according to court documents. There were shards of glass on the dashboard. Police say when officers asked Otero if he knew why they were there, he stated, “Yes.''
In a taped statement, Otero admitted to striking Maples and leaving the scene because “he panicked and didn't know what to do.''
The Honda was seized and taken to the Lowell police station for processing.
Otero was a star basketball player for Dracut High before he graduated last year. He made The Sun basketball all-star team as a senior.
He is scheduled to return to court on July 27 for a pretrial conference.
FRANK IS ONE OF MY GOOD FRIENDS SEEING THIS SHOCKED ME, HES WOULD NEVER KILL OR HURT INTENTIALLY,WHEN EVER IWAS WITH OR AROUND FRANK HE WAS HAPPY JOKING AND HYPER-- THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT THAT HAD A TRAGIC END-- FRANKS DREAMS OF WORKING IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE DO TO THIS ARE CRUSHED... FRANK YOUR FRIENDS/FAMILY/TEAM WILL ALWAYS BE THERE AND SUPPORT YOU NO ONE KNOWS YOU BETTER CHEER UP!! MUCH LOVE