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Melissa Repka, of North Adams, pleaded guilty to motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation on Tuesday, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. A judge sentenced her to two-and-a-half years in prison, though she will only spend nine months behind bars. The remainder was suspended, as she serves two years of probation, the prosecutor said.
Repka was driving her 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee east on Route 2 in Charlemont before making a U-turn at the rest area close to the Berkshire East Mountain Resort on April 12, 2023, the prosecutor said. She turned into the path of 66-year-old Gregory Herzig's Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Paramedics rushed the Colrain man to Baystate Franklin Medical Center, where doctors pronounced him dead.
An obituary for Herzig said he worked as a logger and was known for his ability to fix anything for his friends and neighbors. His loved ones said he had a big heart and a quick sense of humor.
Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington prosecuted the case.
“Mr. Herzig was spending this tragic day driving his motorcycle seeing family members in the local area. This was an avoidable crash,” he said. “The Commonwealth hopes the sentence today brings a measure of justice to the Herzig family, who were supportive of the sentence.”
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