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Jerry Santiago Jr., age 25, was charged with motor vehicle homicide, motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, leaving the scene of a personal injury crash resulting in death, driving as to endanger, and driving a motor vehicle without a license, the Worcester District Attorney Office announced on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
Justina Riopelle, 22, was charged with being an accessory after the fact, the prosecutor said.
Santiago is accused of crashing a Dodge Journey into Ghufran Mutar as she crossed Route 9 on Oct. 30, officials said. She was on her way home from working a shift at CVS.
Paramedics rushed Mutar to UMass Memorial Medical Center, but doctors couldn't save her life.
Mutar was also a graduate of Burncoat High School in 2020.
Police said they found the Journey a day after the crash. It had front damage to the front passenger side of the vehicle, officials said.
Santiago was in custody on a $50,000 bond, the prosecutor said.
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