HAVERHILL, MASS. (WHDH) - A 19-year-old Methuen man has been arraigned in connection with a deadly crash in Haverhill that claimed the life of a beloved high school student.
Owen Foote, 19, of Methuen, pleaded not guilty in Haverhill District Court Wednesday to charges including motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation and failure to stop in connection with a Sept. 24 crash that killed 17-year-old Haverhill High School student Jordan Rankin, according to a spokeswoman for Essex District Attorney Jonathan D. Blodgett’s Office.
Officers responding to a reported car crash in the area of Crystal and Liberty streets about 9 p.m. found Rankin suffering from critical injuries. She was airlifted to a Boston hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini said Rankin was returning from field hockey and less than a mile from home at the time of the crash.
“Evidentally, she was coming home from field hockey,” he said at the time. “Did nothing wrong. Just a terrible tragedy. Our heart goes out to the family and the other students who are affected.”
Foote was behind the wheel of a pickup truck and traveling 70 mph in a 30 mph zone when he plowed into Rankin’s car, according to police.
A makeshift memorial continues to grow at the scene of the crash.
Judge Patricia Dowling imposed $5,000 bail and ordered Foote submit to a GPS monitoring device, abide by a 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and not operate a motor vehicle.
Foote’s attorney, Benjamin Urbelis, said in a statement: “This case is just so devastating all around. First and foremost, nothing can compare to the unimaginable heartbreak the Rankins are facing. The story is even sadder because the families of two great kids will never be the same.
“After a long 5-week investigation by law enforcement, investigators concluded what we knew all along; no drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident. This has been the worst month of Owen’s life and it won’t get any easier in the near future, but even as he struggles to digest his new reality he knows that nothing compares to the loss of such a promising young life.”
Foote is due back in court Nov. 21 for a pretrial hearing.
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