Contact: Beth Stone 508-584-8120
BROCKTON – A Quincy man who worked as a van operator transporting those differently abled has been indicted on a charge that he failed to get medical aid for a client, resulting in that person’s death, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced.
Late yesterday, a Plymouth County grand jury returned an indictment charging George Wise, 70, with one count of Permitting Serious Bodily Injury to a Disabled Person.
On June 26, 2019 at approximately 9:07 a.m., Hingham Police received a 911 call from staff at Road 2 Responsibility in Hingham reporting an unresponsive male. Emergency medical personnel responded and located the victim who was then transported to South Shore Hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was identified as Joseph Lavigne, 24, of Norwell.
Hingham Police contacted Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office of the unattended death and an investigation commenced. As a result of the investigation and a timeline of events, detectives determined that Wise, who operated the van for VHS Transportation Company, picked up Lavigne at a group home in Norwell, was made aware of Lavigne’s sudden, declining medical condition and failed to take action, ignoring medical equipment alarms and several notifications by a female van monitor who attempted to alert Wise to the medical episode.
Wise will be arraigned on the charge in Brockton Superior Court at a later date.
Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and Hingham Police.