Contact: Beth Stone
508-584-8120
BROCKTON – A Stoughton man has been arraigned on youthful offender charges that he was driving recklessly and under the influence of marijuana when he crashed his car and killed his four young passengers in East Bridgewater, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced today.
Naiquan D. Hamilton, 18, of Stoughton, was arraigned in Brockton Juvenile Court today on four counts each of Manslaughter by Motor Vehicle, Motor Vehicle Homicide by Operating Under the Influence, and Motor Vehicle Homicide by Reckless Operation. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on personal recognizance with conditions that he abstain from use of drugs and alcohol and submit to testing. The conditions also include that Hamilton refrain from operating a motor vehicle, surrender his passport and stay away and have no contact with the families of the victims.
At approximately 4:06 pm on May 19, East Bridgewater Police received 911 calls for a report of a car into a tree at 558 West Street/Route 106. East Bridgewater Police and fire responded and found a single motor vehicle with five male occupants. Three of the occupants in the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. Those victims were identified as Christopher Desir, 17, of Brockton, Eryck Sablah, 17, of Stoughton and Nicholas Joyce, 16, of Stoughton. An additional crash victim was taken to Brockton Hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was identified as David Bell, 17, of Stoughton.
Hamilton, who was 17-years-old at the time of the crash, was the driver of the vehicle and was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton before he was transported to Boston Medical Center for treatment of his injuries. East Bridgewater Police notified State Police Detectives in the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and the State Police CARS Unit and an investigation commenced. That investigation found and the indictments allege that Hamilton was driving recklessly and under the influence of marijuana at the time of the fatal crash. At
the scene of the crash, police found 10 large bags with green leaves, believed to be marijuana and several others with marijuana residue. There were also chocolate, caramel and pina colada marijuana edibles found in the car wreckage.
Hamilton was indicted on the charges in August. He is next scheduled to appear in court on October 29, 2018.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Russell Eonas and Stephanie Mello and was investigated by State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, East Bridgewater Police, and the Massachusetts State Police CARS Unit.