BRAINTREE, MASS. (WHDH) - Massachusetts State Police say a 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a fatal car crash in Braintree.
Hedweens Quetant was arrested without incident on Wednesday, March 8, according to an MSP spokesperson. The Boston resident was taken into custody nearly three weeks after a crash on I-93 in Braintree resulted in the death of Michael Wojdag, 46, of Hanson.
Authorities said Wojdag was ejected after a vehicle struck the Chevrolet Tahoe SUV he was in at a high rate of speed around 9 p.m. on Feb. 19. Two other passengers in the SUV, Wojdag’s wife and teenage son, were also injured in the crash, which sent both vehicles off the right side of the road.
According to state police, Quetant and four other passengers riding in the Honda Civic that struck the SUV were uninjured and were found standing in a breakdown lane near the sedan.
Electronic evidence from both vehicles, physical evidence from the scene and witness accounts were later collected by authorities, leading investigators to believe the Civic had been traveling at approximately 120 miles per hour on I-93 North when it struck the side of the Tahoe, which was going 75 mph.
MSP Director of Media Communications Dave Procopio said multiple witnesses who had been driving around the time of the crash described two vehicles speeding past them, including a “dark or black sedan.”
“One of the witnesses identified one of the racing vehicles as a black Honda Civic while another witness, who stopped at the scene of the crash, believed that the Civic that had crashed was one of the cars that sped by him,” Procopio said in a statement.
The evidence contradicted statements given by Quetant, who is now facing charges that include:
- Manslaughter
- Motor Vehicle Homicide by Negligent Operation
- Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Racing a Motor Vehicle
- Witness Intimidation
The 19 year old was arraigned in Quincy District Court on Wednesday afternoon and ordered held on $25,000 cash bail.
Procopio said an investigation into the other driver who was allegedly racing Quetant was ongoing.
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