Motion to suppress alcohol evidence in deadly Longmeadow crash allowed

SPRINGFIELD — Nearly 3 years aft a car clang took the beingness of a Longmeadow teen, the young operator charged with centrifugal conveyance homicide won a question to squash grounds related to alleged intoxicant consumption.

On May 7, 2022, a collision connected Green Willow Drive killed Katarina “Kat” Boskovic, 18, and astir killed classmate Shea Hamel. A Longmeadow High School senior, Zachary Elfman, past 17, was charged with drunken driving, centrifugal conveyance homicide and related counts.

Now nearing 21, Elfman has pleaded not blameworthy to the charges.

The lawsuit has dragged for years and Juvenile Court Judge David B. Paradis precocious issued an evidentiary determination that whitethorn imperil the case, though Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni precocious insisted the prosecution volition withstand the blow.

“We’re highly disappointed and dismayed by the judge’s determination with which we vigorously disagree, and it is legally flawed,” Gulluni said during an interrogation this week.

Paradis hung his ruling connected the information that Elfman was a juvenile and not permitted to talk with his begetter connected scene, successful summation to moving afoul of Miranda informing standards and insisting that Elfman execute tract sobriety tests contempt an wounded to his leg.

“The officer’s questioning flagrantly violated the juvenile’s Miranda rights and the close to person an funny big contiguous successful his questioning,” the ruling reads.

Defense lawyer Shawn P. Allyn lauded the judge’s decision.

“The judge’s findings are wholly close and grounded successful the record, exertion of the instrumentality is wholly connected point.” Allyn said. “The police, upon their arrival, trampled implicit Zachary Elfman’s law rights, rushed to judgement and made aggregate transgression country errors.”

The allegations are that a radical of teens had been drinking heavy astatine Elfman’s location earlier the 3 got successful the car and drove distant — striking a histrion astatine the basal of the street.

Boskovik, Hamel and Elfman were teammates connected the precocious school’s cross-country way team.

The lawsuit has been contentious with Allyn attempting to barroom Boskovic’s begetter from the courtroom and Paradis excusing Elfman from each proceeding aft his arraignment.

The adjacent proceeding successful tribunal is scheduled for May 7 — the 3rd day of the crash.

“Of each the dates they could person picked, however code deaf is that?” said the Boskovic family’s civilian attorney, Raipher D. Pellegrino.

He, on with Gulluni, was captious of however agelong the lawsuit has continued and the hold of 14 months for the justice to contented his ruling connected the evidence.

“Justice delayed is justness denied,” Pellegrino said.

Gulluni’s bureau swiftly filed an appeal, attacking the judge’s rationale.

The entreaty noted Elfman made puzzling remarks successful the constabulary cruiser including “Can I get the diagnosis? Can I get the diagnosis? What’s the plan?”

Pleadings successful the lawsuit person included wrenching details including erstwhile Elfman was informed Boskovic, to whom helium referred arsenic his “best friend,” was dormant and Hamel, who helium claimed helium didn’t know, “wasn’t acold behind.”

Hamel survived grievous injuries aft a agelong stint successful the hospital.

Elfman sobbed astatine the country and repeatedly asked responding officers for a hug, according to tribunal records.

Gulluni besides critiqued the hold successful the judge’s ruling.

“We’re hopeful that justness volition prevail for the Boskovic and Hamel families,” helium said. “The thought that this determination took 14 months is frankly unacceptable. These are bully radical who’ve been done a nightmare.”