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Danasia Sampson, of Mattapan, MA, was charged last week with motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office said. Sampson is also a student at the university.
Petillo, a Manahawkin, NJ, native, was crossing Ring Road with a friend on April 6 near his dorm when police say Sampson crashed into him with her Honda Accord around 5:30 p.m., the Bristol prosecutor said. Paramedics rushed Petillo to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Frank Petillo Sr. told WCVB last month that his pain has been immeasurable since his son died.
"It's been a tough road these past few months. It's been really tough," he said. "... I wouldn't wish this on anybody in the world."
Petillo Sr. said he has no hatred toward Sampson, but he wants to see changes made at the school to make it safer for pedestrians, he told the news station.
Students agreed. More than 7,000 people signed a Change.org petition to demand school leaders do more to address their safety concerns.
The student body wants more safety. Speed bumps, speed monitors, sidewalks, and stop lights with crosswalks. We have to take action now, there is no time to wait when it costs a life."
Their demands have borne fruit. The school installed new speed bumps — one near where Petillo Jr. was hit — to encourage drivers to slow down, WCVB said.
But his name will go further than just improved safety equipment. Petillo Sr. said his family created a scholarship in Frank's name at UMass Dartmouth to help other bioengineering majors.
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