FRANKLIN, Mass. — A 21-year-old man from Franklin, Massachusetts, is facing serious charges after allegedly driving drunk and causing a crash that killed a 5-year-old girl and injured members of her family, according to original reporting by WCVB Channel 5.
James Blanchard was arraigned Tuesday on multiple charges, including motor vehicle homicide while driving under the influence and driving with open containers of alcohol in his vehicle. According to a report from WCVB, the young girl’s family had just left a local soccer game and was on the way to celebrate her brother’s 14th birthday when their vehicle was struck by Blanchard’s pickup truck.
Police say Blanchard had a blood alcohol content of 0.189 — more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 in Massachusetts. Multiple open containers of vodka and beer were found in his vehicle, including a 1.75-liter bottle of Tito’s vodka, which Blanchard admitted to drinking from while driving, according to a police report cited by WCVB.
The father, Atulkumar Patel, told officers he saw Blanchard’s truck veering into his lane and tried to swerve into the opposite lane to avoid a collision. Despite the attempt, the vehicles crashed. Emergency responders rushed the 5-year-old girl to a hospital via helicopter, but she was later pronounced dead. Her mother and brother sustained serious injuries, while the father was treated and released.
In his statement to police, Blanchard claimed he had finished work in Plainville, stopped at a liquor store, and began drinking after a landscaping job. He admitted to drinking “three-quarters of a 1.75-liter bottle of Tito’s vodka” before the crash, according to the report detailed by WCVB.
Blanchard appeared in court where a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. He is currently being held on $250,000 bail.
At the crash site on Grove Street, a growing memorial of flowers and teddy bears has been placed by heartbroken community members. “We know how full of promise children are and how much potential in future, and to see life cut short is heartbreaking, whether we know them or not,” local resident Lisa Oxford told WCVB.
Blanchard’s defense attorney, Tim Flaherty, acknowledged the depth of the tragedy: “It’s an unspeakable tragedy, it’s every parent’s nightmare and his thoughts and my thoughts are with the Patel family,” he said, as reported by WCVB.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be considered as authorities review the evidence.
