ROWLEY — Rowley police have charged a Groveland woman with vehicular homicide following a fatal crash on Haverhill Street last month.
Carol A. Parady, 65, of 21 Apple Blossom Way is expected to be in Newburyport District Court on Sept. 3 for a show cause hearing, according to Rowley police Chief Robert Barker. Parady was also charged with a marked lanes violation.
The crash that took the life of 51-year-old Cynthia Heil of Rowley took place July 15 at 2:30 p.m. on Haverhill Street, the same street where she lived.
According to police, Parady's white Lexus sports utility vehicle veered into the other travel lane, hitting Heil's Jeep Wrangler head on. Both were transported to Anna Jaques Hospital, where Heil was pronounced dead.
Police said that Heil was driving west, and Parady was eastbound when the crash occurred near Christopher Road.
Barker said charges were filed after speaking to witnesses and reviewing data from a preliminary accident report. The department is still waiting on toxicology tests to determine whether Parady had been drinking at the time of the crash. Should tests come back positive, Barker said additional charges could be levied.
"If we find there are more appropriate charges, then yes," Barker said.
Massachusetts law states that anyone convicted of vehicular homicide can face between two-and-a-half and 15 years in a state prison, plus a fine of no more than $5,000, or imprisonment in a jail or house of corrections for not less than one year nor more than two-and-a-half years and a fine of not more than $5,000.
Barker said Haverhill Street isn't considered a trouble spot for accidents. Motorists are prone to speeding on the road, since it's relatively new and wide. The posted speed limit is 40 mph.
"All that said, we don't believe speed is a factor," Barker said.
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