32-Year-Old Chelsea Woman To Blame For Fatal East Boston Hit-And-Run: DA

Prosecutors indicted a 32-year-old Chelsea woman on Thursday, Aug. 25, in the death of a 58-year-old pedestrian in a fatal hit-and-run earlier this year in East Boston.

Alan Martel was walking to his job on May 12 when police say Gabriella Mendez ran him over and sped away. Authorities said they will charge her with his death on Thursday, Aug. 25.
Photo Credit: *Google Maps Street View/ Boston Police Facebook*

Josh Lanier

08/24/2022 11:34 p.m.

Gabriella Mendez is charged with motor vehicle homicide, leaving the scene of a crash causing injury or death, and other offenses, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said.

Alan Martel was crossing Bennington Road on May 12 when a Hyundai Santa Fe that Boston police said Mendez was driving smashed into him and sped away. Another driver saw the wreck and called 911.

Martel died from his injuries at a hospital two weeks later, authorities said.

Surveillance video shows the SUV driving toward the crash with its headlights off, police said. The brake lights flickered for a moment after the impact, but the car quickly drove off, running a red light at the London Street intersection.

Police identified the car through the license plate and spoke with Mendez the next day at her work. Her SUV had damage to the windshield, hood, grill, and passenger side mirror, police said.

Investigators believe she was using her cell phone at the time of the crash.

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