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Nazier Grandison, age 22, was charged with manslaughter and motor vehicle homicide stemming from the incident on Tuesday, Dec. 13, the Hampden County District Attorney's Office reports.
Chicopee Police responded to a report of a pedestrian hit by a car in the 400 block of Springfield Street in Chicopee on Oct. 8, the office reports. Upon arrival, officers found Nickolas "Nick" Weichel, age 34, of Chicopee, dead at the scene.
"Nick will always be remembered by his contagious laugh and smile that made him the center of every room he entered," Weichel's best friend Aaron Lafrenaye wrote in a GoFundMe campaign.
"Nick was courageous, and brave he never backed down for what he believed was right," he continued. "Nick would always show up when you needed him, if you needed his help he was one phone call away from dropping whatever he was doing at the time to help."
Investigation determined that Weichel was walking to his car when he was struck by Grandison, who was driving on the wrong side of the road, the office reports. Grandison was also driving at up to 70 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone.
Given Weichel's death along with Grandison's recklessness, the DA’s Office pursued a charge of manslaughter against him. Grandison will be arraigned in Hampden County Superior Court at a later date. The investigation is ongoing.
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