SHELBURNE, MASS. (WHDH) - Authorities have identified a Massachusetts woman who was fatally struck while on her morning walk on Tuesday.
Peter E. Toomey, 51, of Northampton, was arraigned Wednesday in Greenfield District Court on charges including leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, negligent motor vehicle homicide, and failure to stay in marked lanes in connection with the death of 45-year-old Rhonda Thompson, of Shelburne, according to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.
Thompson was walking in the breakdown lane on Route 2 in Shelburne around 6:30 a.m. when she was struck by Toomey, who initially told police that damage to his truck was caused by a deer strike, the district attorney’s office added.
When Toomey was later arrested and informed of the charges against him, he allegedly changed his story and told police that he didn’t stop because he thought Thompson was with someone who would help her.
Toomey is being held on $25,000 bail. He is due back in court in July.
The crash remains under investigation.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)