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Stuart A. Larkin, 64, of South Hadley, is accused of crashing into Edward O. Hanlon Jr., 81, and Ilona L. Murray, 60, on Aug. 2 as they walked across Route 10 near Burger King, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said.
Easthampton police and State Police troopers who investigated the crash ruled that Larkin should have seen Hanlon and Murray and been able to avoid them, the prosecutor said.
Larkin is set to be arraigned on two counts of negligent motor vehicle homicide — a misdemeanor — and one count of speeding early next month, officials said. If convicted, he faces up to two-and-a-half years in prison and may lose his license for 15 years, the prosecutor said.
Hanlon and Murray, of Easthampton, were well-known in the community for their volunteer work with the Building Bridges Veteran's Initiative, which served free weekly meals to vets. Neither had served in the military, but Hanlon was a retired chef, reports said.
"We are heartbroken to lose this wonderful, dedicated couple who cared so much for our veterans," the group posted on Facebook.
The couple had been together for 20 years, reports said.
A GoFundMe the Edwards family created shortly after the crash to pay for Hanlon's funeral costs failed to reach its $5,000 goal.
Click here for more information on the GoFundMe campaign.
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