SOMERVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - SOMERVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) – A Roxbury man accused of fleeing the scene of a deadly hit-and-run crash in Somerville was released on bail after facing a judge Monday.
Zewdu Abate Gedamu, 64, was arraigned in Somerville District Court on charges including leaving the scene of a crash causing personal injury or death and committing a crosswalk violation, according to state police.
Police say Gedamu hit Cheryl Pauline Richards, 52, of Somerville, as she was walking in a crosswalk on Mystic Avenue on Saturday.
She was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Gedamu allegedly told troopers that he consumed two glasses of wine before the fatal crash, court documents indicate.
Witnesses say the driver involved stopped in the road for a few seconds, then took off. One described the suddenness of the crash.
“I was right there at that point and I started to cross, that’s why I was paying attention to cross, and then I saw braking and someone flipping over,” said Jose DaSilva.
Richards’ family requested privacy, but neighbors described her as kind.
“She was always funny and upbeat and outgoing,” said Dawn, a neighbor. “We know she just got plants for the front of the house just to try and make the place more pleasant looking for the neighborhood.”
Gedamu is due back in court in September for a probable cause hearing.
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